When You're Around
by VolcomStoneBabe
Summary: Randy Orton picks his daughter up from school one day and meets her teacher, her gorgeous teacher. He knows she's pretty much off limits, but he can't help himself. Read and Review!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around  
**

_Chapter 1_

"Alright guys, the bell's going to ring soon; pass up your spelling tests and start packing up. Don't forget tomorrow's career day!" Chloe Ryan, also known as Miss Ryan to her students, said to her class. She collected the spelling tests at the front of each row and set them on her desk. She walked to the door where the 3rd graders were congregating, waiting for the bell to ring. When it finally rang, she opened the door and said bye to her students as they made their way outside to their waiting parents. She watched with a smile, waving to some of the patents before going back into her class, leaving the door open to let in some fresh air. She sat down at her desk and began grading the spelling tests and other work before entering the grades into her computer. After a while, it began to get cold so she got up to close the door. She looked around the courtyard as she kicked up the door stopper but kicked it back down when she saw one of her students sitting against the building's wall.

Chloe walked over to her and crouched down. "Hey Lindsey, what are you still doing here? Where are your parents?" Chloe asked gently.

"I'm waiting for my dad. My mom's away for work so my dad has to pick me up." Lindsey said.

She smiled sadly, "Why don't you come in the class while you wait, it's getting cold out here." She suggested, grabbing the girls backpack and resting a hand on her shoulder, leading her into the class. She set the girl's bag on the desk closest to her own then sat down in her chair. She glanced at the clock and grabbed her remote, turning on her projector which got basic cable. She walked over to her white board and pulled down the screen as an image was slowly projected on it. "I hope you don't mind; I can't miss a game." Chloe said to Lindsey, referring to the march madness game that was slowly coming into focus on the screen.

Lindsey laughed as she got out her books to start some homework. "No, I actually was just thinking this is probably why my dad's late- watching the game." Chloe smiled and went back to work, half listening to the game, half paying attention to her work. They were both so involved in their work, they didn't hear the door open.

"Hey baby," He said causing both the girls to look up. Lindsey squealed and jumped out of her seat, running and jumping into her dad's arms. Chloe smiled, it looked like they hadn't seen each other in a while. She took this time to take in Lindsey's dad; he definitely wasn't what she was expecting. She had to admit she was attracted to his muscular, lean, fit form. She couldn't help but notice the way his biceps bulged under his short sleeve shirt, or the way his jeans hugged his thighs, or the way his lips stretched across his teeth as he smiled. Her eyes finally connected with his and she blushed when she realized he caught her staring; how unprofessional, she thought, being caught staring at one of your students fathers.

* * *

He saw her staring the moment he picked up his daughter in his arms. He couldn't say he didn't mind, she sure was a gorgeous woman. He watched her eyes rake over his body and smiled smugly when her eyes connected with his, caught. Her blush made him chuckle and when she stood up, it was his turn to look her over. She had long toned legs accented by black pumps and a black pencil skirt. He took in her slim waist and rather large chest encased in a violet button down shirt. As she got closer he was mesmerized by her bright blue eyes and could only tear his eyes away when Lindsey put her hand on his cheek and pushed his face to look at hers.

"Daddy, this is my teacher, Miss Ryan." She said pointing to the goddess standing in front of him. This was his daughter's teacher? He definitely had to come pick her up more often.

He smiled his infamous smile and extended a hand. "Nice to meet you Miss Ryan."

"You too Mr. Orton," She said placing her hand in his.

"Sorry I'm late. Lindsey's mom is away on business and I'm usually on the road for work so I'm not used to picking her up. I know it's not an excuse but to be honest, I didn't even know what time school ended." Randy said feeling like an awful father.

Chloe smiled at him sympathetically. "School gets out at 3,"

"So noted," He said smiling. He set Lindsey down and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Why don't you pack your things and we can go home?" He watched as she scurried off then he straightened back up, turning to Miss Ryan. "Again I'm sorry, but thank you for keeping an eye on her."

"It's not a problem," She said then paused. "I hope you're on time tomorrow though; Lindsey seemed to think you forgot about her because you were watching basketball games. I'd hate for her to think that if it's not true."

Randy cringed. "I know I'm going to sound like an ass when I say this but I was watching the game." He put his hands up when he saw her about to say something. "I know it's terrible and I'm not proud of it but like I said, my job requires me to be on the road so I usually only see Linds at night or on the weekends, when I'm home, I'm not usually there to pick her up from school. I'll be on time tomorrow, I promise. I'll even be early."

"I hope so," Chloe said, crossing her arms as Lindsey approached them, carrying her backpack. "So am I going to be seeing you tomorrow for career day?" She asked, changing the subject.

Randy raised an eyebrow, "Career day?" He asked looking down at his daughter. He picked her up, resting her butt on his forearm with his hand firmly squeezing her hip and his other hand holding her backpack.

Lindsey's head fell forward. "Yeah, I was going to ask you if you wanted to come, but I thought you might me too busy."

Randy sighed, using one of his fingers to push her chin up. "I'm never too busy for you baby," He said placing a kiss on her cheek. "Got it?" She nodded and wrapped her small arms around his neck. He turned to Chloe and smiled. "I'll be here. What time?"

Chloe smiled at his devotion and proudly said, "All the parents are coming after the first recess. We have a little bit of class work to do but the rest of the day is devoted to the presentations."

Randy nodded, "See you tomorrow Miss Ryan,"

"Bye!" Lindsey said with a wave.

"Bye," Chloe echoed as she watched the father daughter leave her class room. She sighed and turned off the projector. She quickly gathered her belongings and made her way to her car.

* * *

After work Chloe headed over to her parents house to have dinner with them as she usually did once a week. They had been about half way through dinner when her mom started her usual nagging about marriage and having kids.

"Mom, you act like if I don't get married tomorrow, I'll never find a husband." Chloe said before shoveling a forkful of spaghetti in her mouth.

"Dear, I'm not saying that at all." Her mom said. "All I'm saying is that if you wait much longer, all the good ones are going to be taken."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'll take my chances. I'm only 26, I'm in no hurry to get married."

"I'm going to have to agree with Chloe on this one dear," Her dad said, putting in his two cents. "You're young, don't worry about marriage." Chloe smiled at her dad and nodded a thank you.

Her mom let out a sigh. "Well, I'm just looking out for you is all." She smiled at her mom as they finished eating their dinner. After, Chloe had to leave because it was getting late and she did have work tomorrow.

When she walked into her apartment, she was surprised to see the lights were all off and it was silent. Usually her roommate, Jessica, was walking around here watching TV, listening to music, something. She must be out with her boyfriend, Chloe thought. She walked over to the blinking answering machine and clicked the playback button while she walked into her room to change into her pajamas. The first message was from Jessica's mom, wanting to know how she was doing. The second message was from a telemarketer and the last message was from Chloe's friend Rachel which made her smile. "Chloe, it's your best friend! Alright, I'm going to get right to the point. You are coming out to the clubs with the girls one day soon. You haven't come in so long and you're way past overdue. I'll call you tomorrow to let you know details, but there's no question, you're going. Well, that's it, I'll talk to you tomorrow! See ya," There was a pause and then, "Oh yeah, hey Jess!" Chloe laughed and shook her head. It looked like she was going to the clubs. She crawled into bed and the moment her head hit the pillow, she was out.

* * *

**A/N: My new story! I hope you guys like it, feedback is always welcome!**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around  
**

_Chapter 2_

Chloe woke up the next morning, exhausted as usual. She dragged herself out of bed and into the shower. After drying her hair and curling it a little bit, she put on some light makeup and walked over to her closet. She pulled out her outfit for the day, which consisted of black slacks and a white top underneath a cobalt blue fitted, three quartered length sleeve jacket. She got dressed, slipped on black, 3-inch high open toed strappy pumps, grabbed her purse and made her way out to her car. She stopped at a Starbucks on her way to school and grabbed a coffee and a muffin. She walked into her class and started setting up for her lecture. She had some time before the bell rang so she went into the office and grabbed her mail before making her way back to her class. As she got closer, she saw some of her students waiting in a line near her class. She noticed some parents were there too, for career day. If they didn't mind waiting for her to teach a little bit, neither did she. The bell rang as she reached her door and she smiled as she held open the door for everyone to enter.

"I set up a table in the back for parents," She said pointing to the back. "If you don't mind waiting there while I lecture a little bit." She turned her attention back to the students entering the class and she greeted each one. "Hi Lindsey," She said to the last person in line.

"Hi Miss Ryan," She said, letting go of her dad's hand as she walked into class to take her seat.

"I'm early," Randy said with a smile, making Chloe give him her full attention.

She smiled back and followed him into the classroom. "Yes you are, glad to see it." She walked to the front of the class as Randy went to the back, politely greeting the other parents as he took a seat. "Good morning everyone," Chloe said, grabbing her clipboard, which held her role sheets.

"Good morning Miss Ryan," The students said back in unison. The parents in the back smiled proudly at their kids. She quickly took role, marking students who weren't there.

"Ok, why don't you guys take out some paper. We'll take notes right after I put this into the computer." She went over to her desk and marked which students were absent so the office would know and she went back to the front of the class to teach her lesson.

* * *

The bell for the first recess rang and the kids all but ran outside. Chloe grabbed her keys and made her way to the back. "I have to work yard duty today. You can stay in here or go outside, whatever you want." She said amiably to the parents. All of the parents stayed, except Randy; he followed Chloe outside.

"So this is a day in the life of Miss Ryan?" He asked with his hands in his front jean pockets as he walked next to her.

She shrugged. "More or less. It's nice though." Randy nodded. "So what do you do?"

He chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "I'm a professional wrestler."

She smiled, amused, and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how's that?"

"Really good, I'm one of the top guys. The only downside is being on the road so often; it gets tough, you know? I miss Lindsey. I'm injured right now though, so it's nice being home and spending time with her."

"Yeah, I'll bet," She said as she watched the kids play on the playground. "So what does your wife do?"

It was Randy's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You mean Sam? Nah, we're not married anymore."

"Oh." Chloe said. "Sorry,"

"No worries, it's not a big deal. We don't really get along that well anyway." Chloe nodded, not really feeling like she knew him well enough to be nosey. His cell phone started to ring from its place in his pocket; he took it out and checked the screen. "It's my friend, I gotta take this." He said to Chloe and walked away after she nodded in understanding.

"Hey, how's it going man?" Randy greeted his best friend, John Cena, on the phone.

"It's going good. I just wanted to see how you were doing. How's your neck? It still hurting?" John asked, concerned for his friend.

"It's alright. Still hurts sometimes but otherwise, it's perfectly fine. I've got an appointment with my doctor tomorrow, so we'll see if it's anything serious." Randy replied as allowed his eyes to travel over his daughters teacher.

"Good to hear, I'll pass the word along. So how's Lindsey? Does she miss me?" He asked with a laugh.

Randy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, she misses you and she's good. It's career day actually; I'm at her school."

"Randy, you know you can't talk on the phone while you're in class; that's kinda rude." John said.

He rolled his eyes again. "It's recess John; please you're not that important to me that I'd answer your call in class."

"Yeah, yeah, just making sure. So are the other parents there? Any hot and single women?" John asked playfully.

Randy laughed at his friend. "Nah, all the parents are pretty much taken and middle-aged. Her teacher though…that's another story entirely." He trailed off in thought.

"What? Randy, her teacher? What's wrong with you?"

"John, if you saw her, you'd understand what I'm saying." His breath caught in his throat when Chloe turned around, laughing at the kids on the playground. He couldn't help but smile back and wave. It looked like she blushed a little bit and turned away timidly, which only made him smile wider. "Now I just have to figure out if she's single."

John shook his head. "Whatever, you're an adult but if you're serious about this, make sure you don't do anything stupid, this is Lindsey's teacher."

"Yeah, alright I will bud," The bell rang and all the kids made their way back to class. "I gotta go, recess is over, but I'll talk to you later."

"Alright, take care." John said before they both hung up. Randy made his way back to the classroom and took the seat he had held before. Within minutes all the students were back in class and Chloe trailed in after all the kids had left the playground. She closed the door behind her and smiled at everyone.

"Okay, class, why don't you put all your things away so you can give our speakers your full attention." The students put their things away, leaving their desks empty. "Alright, our first speaker is," She said looking at her list. She had made a list of all the parents that were participating in the order they had confirmed. "Mrs. Smith, Kyle's mom." She said and everyone clapped as Mrs. Smith made her way to the front and Chloe sat at her desk.

* * *

"And our last speaker is," Chloe said, looking at her list. "Mr. Orton, Lindsey's dad." The class applauded, a little louder this time. It seemed they were very familiar with his job and wanted to hear about it.

Randy smiled as he approached the front. "Well, I'm a professional wrestler. Now unlike some of the jobs that we've talked about today, mine doesn't involve sitting at a desk, making powerpoints or working the mandatory 9-5." Chloe tightened her hands around the pen she was holding a little; he basically just described her job perfectly. "My job is a little more hands on- physically. It requires that you are physically able to perform night after night. You also have to be in the right mindset; I can't go out into the ring upset about something, cause it will definitely show, and that may be a problem if I am supposed to be celebrating something or let my emotions get the best of me." Chloe looked in the back at the remaining parents and saw they were obviously not too excited about this presentation. She imagines they spend a lot of time telling their kids that professional wrestling is not something they should be watching. "Now, I'll admit, professional wrestling is for a more…mature audience." He saw some confused faces at the word mature and smiled, forgetting where he was for a minute. "Sorry, it has some things in it that your parents may not want you to see or hear about until your older." He saw some kids nod their heads in understanding. "But, the show is all about entertainment- that's what TV is for though right? Entertainment." Chloe had to admit he had a way with words. "To be a professional wrestler, you have go into it knowing you're probably going to get pushed on your butt but you just have to get back up. You have to be determined and love what you're doing, otherwise, you're going to end up hating your job. I have some friends who just couldn't take the traveling and being away from their family and it's tough, but it's a sacrifice you and your family have to be willing to make." Randy took a breath and smiled. "Any questions?" Arms shot up like crazy and he laughed, calling on one girl in the front.

"Did you go to college?" She asked, obviously a studious type.

Randy shook his head sadly. "No, and if there was one thing I could change in my life, that would probably be it. These days, you can't do anything without an education. If wrestling was to not work out for me one day, I would have a hard time finding a job that didn't involve me saying, 'Can I take your order?'" That earned him some laughs, even from the parents in the back. Randy called on another student, a boy, ironically wearing a Randy Orton shirt.

"How did it feel to win the world heavyweight championship for the first time?"

Randy smiled. "It felt amazing. Probably one of the best accomplishments of my career." The questions continued for quite some time, it seemed like everyone had a question. Finally the questions ended and Chloe stood up next to Randy at the front of the class. "Let's give it up for Mr. Orton and all our other speakers who took the time out of their day to talk to us." The room erupted in applause and Chloe glanced at the clock behind her. "We have some time left before the bell, so why don't you just take it easy." Chloe turned to Randy and smiled. "You're a good public speaker."

He shrugged and smiled. "It's practically in my job description."

"Well, I really appreciate you coming in. My lectures get a bit boring for the kids, so I like to get guest speakers to come in and talk to them. It breaks up the monotony and get's them interested." She explained.

"Ah, well, personally I don't think I could ever get tired of hearing you talk." He said, accidentally slipping into Randy Orton the flirt, instead of Randy Orton the professional. He couldn't help it; he was a flirt when he was around pretty girls. He's surprised he lasted this long with the strictly business routine.

She blushed a little bit. "Well, thanks. I'm going to talk to some of the other parents." She said and slowly walked backwards a few paces before turning around and making her way to the back. She spent the rest of the class, talking to the parents and thanking them for coming in. She finished making her rounds and was talking to some of the students when the bell rang. She waved bye to everyone as they left and sighed when the room was empty. There were so many people in here today it just seemed like too much, next time she'd know to split it up into a couple days, not just one. She turned around when she heard the door open and relaxed when it was Randy.

"Sorry," He said, letting the door close behind him. "I forgot my phone." He said making his way to the table in the back.

"Oh, no problem." She said and couldn't help but watch closely as he bent down to retrieve his phone.

"Got it." He said, breaking her out of her daze.

"Bye," She said with a wave.

"Bye." He said with a wink before leaving the room.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews! I had no idea so many people would be interested in this story. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter as well, please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around  
**

_Chapter 3_

It was finally Friday, and Chloe couldn't have been more relieved. The week had seemed to drag on, the days were never ending. She had left school at five, picked up a small dinner for herself and Jessica and went back to her apartment. She sat on her couch with Jess and flipped on the TV, getting caught up on the news in the world as they ate dinner. They stayed on the couch well after they finished their food and Chloe didn't get up until she had to go to the bathroom. After she was done, she glanced at the clock and saw it was getting pretty close to nine, that was when Rachel was going to pick them up to go to the club.

"Alright, Jess, I think we should get ready now." Chloe said, pulling Jess from her spot on the couch.

She whined. "I don't want to. I'm too tired."

"I know, me too, but you know Rach, she's not going to let us get out of this. She's relentless." Chloe explained as she walked into the bathroom, turning on her curling iron.

Jess walked into the bathroom and began to put on her makeup while Chloe walked into the kitchen. She walked back into the bathroom carrying two glasses of white wine. "Here, this should help."

Jess laughed. "Thanks, I'm definitely going to need this." She said, taking a sip. Chloe placed her glass on the counter and began to softly curl her hair. "I hope there's a hot guy there tonight for you." Jess said.

"For me? I don't need a man." She said.

"Please girl, you need to get laid."

Chloe let out a laugh that also could have doubled as a gasp of shock. "You sound like my mother," She said then paused. "well, not exactly but you get what I'm saying. She won't lay off on the guy front. I don't need it from you too."

"Chlo, your mom wants you to get married, I want you to get laid. Hardly the same thing." Jess said as she took a step back from the mirror to make sure her eyeliner was even on both eyes. Chloe just rolled her eyes and continued curling her hair. Once she was done, she moved onto makeup, doing a nice slightly heavy smoky eye. After she was done, she walked over to her closet to find something to wear. After some deliberation, she slid on a medium wash skinny jean and a gray deep v fashion vest with a skinny tie wrapped around her waist. Just as she grabbed her shoes from the closet, there was a knock on the door. "I got it," Jess yelled, she was already finished getting ready and was waiting in the kitchen.

"Hey, you girls ready?" Chloe heard Rachel ask as the door opened.

"I'm almost done!" She yelled back as she bent over to put on her simple black patent leather four inch heeled sandal with one strap across the cleavage of her toes and a buckle across her ankle. She quickly slid her black clutch under her arm as she reached for her keys and walked out of her bedroom. "Alright," She said, looking down at her phone. "I'm ready." She didn't look up until she heard her friends whistle. She looked up and smiled a little at the strange expression her friends were giving her. "What?"

"Damn, girl, you clean up nice." Rachel said as she admired her friends outfit.

"Yeah, you are hot, mama," Jess said playfully.

She rolled her eyes and put her phone in her clutch. "Oh please, let's go." She said leading the way as her friends followed her as they made cat calls at her.

* * *

The girls had been at the club for almost an hour now and Jess and Rachel were completely smashed. They were dancing outrageously and laughing at everything, still ordering drink after drink from the bar. They were all dancing together out on the dance floor when Jess had to go to the bathroom. Rach volunteered to go with her because she had to go herself, so they left, promising Chloe they wouldn't be long.

Chloe kept dancing as her friends left and was surprised to feel a hand wrap around her waist and pull her to their chest. She looked up and smiled when she saw an attractive male in front of her, as he danced with her. She relaxed and began to dance with him too, enjoying the moment. The song ended and she was getting thirsty so she smiled at the man but took his hands off her so she could leave. She took a step away but was quickly brought back to his chest as his arms found their way around her waist again. She frowned and put her hands on his shoulders to push him away. He shook his head and smirked at her. He leaned his head down and before she knew it his lips were on her neck. She cringed; she didn't know this guy and definitely didn't want his lips anywhere on her body. "Don't fight it baby, you know you want it."

"No, I definitely don't." She said as she tried again to push him away.

* * *

Randy turned away from his retreating friends and sat down at the bar, lifting his beer to his lips as he surveyed the crowd at the club. His eyes almost immediately fell on a familiar figure dancing. He would recognize that backside anywhere; that was definitely his daughter's teacher, Miss Ryan. He smiled as he took in her outfit; he loved how her jeans hugged her delectable legs and the way her vest was quite short, showing off a good portion of her midriff. It took him a couple seconds to notice but he frowned when he noticed the tension in her back. His eyes trailed from her still legs to the way she was leaning slightly away from her dance partner and her arms were moving, almost in a pushing motion at the mans shoulders. He immediately clenched his teeth and stood up. He took one last sip of his beer before placing the empty bottle on the bar and began to walk towards the teacher. As he got closer he saw the man attacking her neck with his lips and he growled low in his throat. He hated guys like this.

* * *

Chloe kept pushing at the guys shoulders, silently begging herself to find enough strength to overpower him. She jumped when she felt another arm wrap around her waist from behind and easily pull her out of her dance partner's arms, and into the chest of a very solid, muscular man. She took a couple deep breaths before looking up to see who had rescued her and her eyes widened when she saw the eyes of Mr. Orton. She blushed and looked down. How embarrassing.

"You have a little trouble understanding the word no?" Randy asked darkly to the man across from him. He pulled the trembling teacher closer to him as he took a step closer. He felt her small hands grab the forearm he had wrapped around her waist and hold on for dear life. "Cause if you do, I can teach it to you."

The guy held up his hands in defense. "I don't want any trouble man. She wanted it, she never said no."

Randy narrowed his eyes. "Did she need to? Did you not feel her trying to push you away?" He took another step closer but stepped back when she was right up against that jackass again and her hold on him tightened. "As her boyfriend, I feel I'm obligated to teach you a little lesson in dance club etiquette." Randy said cracking his neck.

"Whoa, hey, no need for that. She never mentioned a boyfriend, man."

"Not that you gave her the chance right?" He asked as he tried to calm her down by using his thumb to rub circles on the exposed skin of her hip. The man looked down in shame. "That's what I thought. Now apologize and get lost."

The man looked up at Chloe and sighed. "I'm sorry, I was a jerk." He said before looking up at Randy to see if that was enough. Randy nodded curtly and watched as he ran off, getting lost in the crowd. Chloe took a couple deep breaths and slowly released her grip on Randy's arm. She turned around slowly and looked up at him. He bent down slightly and put his hand on her face.

"You alright? He didn't hurt you did he?" He asked concerned for the young woman.

He smiled when she let a small smile stretch against her teeth. "No, I'm fine. Thank you." She said sliding her hand over his own before removing it from her skin. His touch was doing strange things for her, not to say she didn't enjoy it.

"Come on, let's go sit down." He said, putting a hand on the small of her back and leading her to two open stools at the bar. "So are you here alone? That's not very safe." He scolded her.

"No, I'm here with a couple girlfriends; they went to the bathroom." She explained. Randy nodded and she tilted her head to the side slightly. "You here alone?"

He shook his head. "I'm here with some friends too." She nodded and looked around the club before turning back to him and sighing.

"Gosh, that was so embarrassing. Mr. Orton I really-" She started but was cut off by Randy interrupting her.

"No more of that Mr. Orton shit, my name is Randy. Call me Randy." He said with a friendly smile.

"Randy," She said with a smile. "I really want to thank you. I was trying to get him to stop but he was just too strong." She tried to defend herself.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. Guys like that like to know they can overpower women, they get off on it. That's why you gotta be careful with guys in the clubs. They are waiting and ready to pounce on pretty little things like yourself." He explained and she nodded, liking that he was the type of guy to help a girl in need.

"Well, still, thank you. I'll have to make it up to you sometime." She said and Randy raised his eyebrow.

"Nah, don't worry about it."

"Randy," She said putting her hand on his wrist, which was resting on the bar counter. "I owe you one."

Her eyes pleaded with him and he hated to admit it but he felt slightly weak in the knees. "Alright. But I don't even know your name Miss Ryan." He said, twisting his hand around hers so he could hold it to his lips. He dropped a feather light kiss on the back of her hand and she smiled.

"Chloe."

"Chloe? What a beautiful name."

"Thank you." She said happily. She saw something out of the corner of her eye and she turned to get a good look. She laughed when she saw Jess and Rach making their way back from the bathroom laughing loud and holding each other up. "Well, unfortunately it looks like I need to get my friends home. They've had a bit too much to drink." She stood up and about melted when Randy stood up politely too.

He laughed and released her hand. "I suppose I'll see you around school then?" He asked, almost hopefully.

She smiled and nodded. "Bye Randy."

"Bye Chloe." He said as he watched her approach her friends and drag them out of the club. He turned around and had the biggest smile that he just could not wipe off his face.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all your wonderful reviews! Let me know what you thought of this chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**Chloe**

_Chapter 4_

A couple of weeks had passed since the club incident and it had passed relatively fast. Chloe had only run into Randy a couple times after that because, she assumed, Lindsey's mom was back in town and they were back to their regular schedule. The school had been on Spring Break for only a couple days and it was Easter Sunday. Her parents were in Hawaii celebrating their 25th anniversary, Jessica was in Maine with her family and Rachel was a couple hours away with her family, so Chloe was having a solo holiday. Granted, both Jess and Rach had invited her to join them but she turned them down, claiming she didn't feel like traveling.

It was early afternoon and Chloe was at the grocery store, deciding what she wanted to make for dinner tonight. She had a basket in her hand, which held nothing but a bottle of wine and strawberries and chocolate to make chocolate covered strawberries. She was standing in the frozen food aisle and was debating between getting a chicken pot pie or a lean cuisine.

* * *

"What else does the list say we need?" Randy asked Lindsey as he pushed the shopping cart down the cereal aisle.

"Ice cream and chocolate syrup." She replied as she scanned the shopping list in her hands from her seat in the shopping cart. Randy stopped and looked down at his daughter suspiciously.

"No it doesn't. Let me see." He said, angling the list so he could read it. "I knew it, you're mother would never write something unhealthy on there." He said as he continued down the aisle. He stopped momentarily to grab Cheerio's and threw them in the cart.

Lindsey sighed heavily. "Oh come on dad! Mom's gone for a week! It's just you and me, and I know I won't tell."

Randy looked down on his daughter and couldn't help but smile. She was so much like him, it scared him a bit. "You're right. But this is definitely between you and me." They approached the end of the aisle and turned into the next one. "Alright, what do we want? Vanilla? Chocolate? Chocolate Chip?" He asked as his eyes scanned the ice cream labels from their spot in the freezers.

"Double chocolate brownie." Lindsey said, pointing to the carton.

Randy shook his head with a chuckle. "You're taking advantage of me."

She smiled proudly and patted her dad on his arm. "That's what daughters are for."

"Ain't that the truth." He said as he stepped forward to grab the ice cream his daughter requested. Lindsey looked down the aisle and smiled when she saw her teacher.

"Hey dad, I think that's Miss Ryan." She said when Randy returned to the cart.

He immediately looked down the aisle to where his daughter was pointing. He hadn't really seen Chloe since they ran into each other at the club, aside from the occasional sighting at school, but Sam had returned from her business trip so she had been back on school pick up duty. A smile graced his lips as his eyes fell on the young teacher. He had never seen her look so relaxed as she was now, dressed in skinny jeans, black flats and a raspberry colored V-neck top with butterfly sleeves and smocked drop waist with some delicate embroidery around the neck line. He practically had to pick his jaw up off the floor.

"Dad," Lindsey said to get his attention. He had been staring and silent for quite a while. "Are you okay?" She asked with a giggle.

Randy shook his head and nodded. "Yeah, sorry. Let's go say hi." He said, pushing the cart towards Chloe. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss Ryan," Randy said as their cart was only a couple feet from her. He chuckled when she jumped in surprise. She turned around and put a hand to her heart to calm herself down.

"Oh…you scared me." She closed her eyes before opening them again. She smiled. "Hello Lindsey, how are you?" She asked as she adjusted her basket to rest in the crook of her elbows.

"Hi Miss Ryan! I'm good, how are you?" Lindsey asked politely.

"I am well, thank you." She responded before turning to look at Randy. He looked better than she remembered. He was wearing a pair of jeans that fit him perfectly and a black t-shirt. It was such a simple look but looked absolutely amazing on him. "Hello Mr. Orton,"

"Randy, remember?" He said with a raised eyebrow.

She chuckled and nodded. "Sorry. How are you Randy?" She smiled and raised an eyebrow as if to ask him if that was better.

He shrugged. "I can't complain. I'd ask you the same but the munchkin beat me to it." He said rubbing the top of his daughter's head and she giggled. "So what are you doing here on Easter?"

She shrugged. "Getting something to eat." She said holding up the chicken pot pie in her hands.

"Now, I know that you aren't going to eat that today." Randy said, concerned.

"Yeah, I am." She said, confused.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no. This is not going to work. It's Easter, you can't eat," He paused, stepping forward to grab the box from her hand. "a chicken pot pie on Easter. And to be honest, you really shouldn't even eat a chicken pot pie any day."

She frowned. "I happen to like chicken pot pie's, thank you very much." She said, taking the box back from him and putting it in her basket.

"I- no- we can't let that happen. Can we Lindsey?" He asked, turning to his daughter who was already shaking her head.

"No, I'm sorry but that is unacceptable."

Chloe couldn't help but laugh. "Well, it's either that or a lean cuisine."

"Oh!" He exclaimed, slamming his fist into his chest, acting like it was knife going through his heart. "You are killing me."

"Sorry, but it's just me today and I don't want to make an elaborate meal for one person." She admitted sadly, looking down at her feet.

"What? Where's your family?" Randy asked softly.

"My parents are in Hawaii from their anniversary. It's ok though, I don't mind being alone."

He paused for a second and then walked over to his daughter. He leaned down and whispered something in her ear. She nodded enthusiastically and he nodded back before turning to face Chloe. "You're going to join us today." He said matter-of-factly.

"Excuse me?" Chloe asked confused.

"Holiday's are not meant to be spent alone. It's just me and Linds today and we'd love to have you. Plus, we're going to have better food than chicken pot pies, I promise." He said with a wink.

Chloe stood there silently, tapping her feet, thinking things over. She looked at Lindsey's smiling face and smiled when the little girl offered her two thumbs up. Then she looked over at Randy and he purposely allowed his eyes to rake over her form, knowing she was watching. She couldn't help but feel chills rolling up and down her spine at the gesture.

"Alright."

Randy's eyes lit up. "Yeah?" Chloe nodded and laughed and his reaction. "Alright, well finish up your shopping and we'll meet you at the front of the store so you can follow us to the house. Ok?"

She nodded and put the chicken pot pie back in the freezer. "Sounds good. See you soon." She said as she turned to finish her shopping.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys, I was going to update yesterday but my computer was not cooperating with me so I made sure to post this this morning. Thanks for all your great reviews, keep them coming! (Oh, and sorry this chapter is a little short, more next time)  
**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 5_

Chloe followed Randy and Lindsey to their home from the grocery store and after she turned off the ignition, she had to just sit in her car for a second and stare at the beautiful house before her. Now, it wasn't a mansion but it was much, much larger than her apartment. Hell, it was at least two or three times the size of the house she grew up in. She finally climbed out of her car and grabbed a bag of groceries she decided to contribute to dinner. She grabbed a couple of bags from the back of Randy's SUV to help them get all the bags in one trip. Randy handed Lindsey a key, which she assumed was to unlock the front door of the house and she followed her student up the walkway. Lindsey carefully unlocked the door and help it open for Chloe and led her in the direction of the kitchen. If Chloe thought the outside of the house was impressive, it paled in comparison to the inside. It was a mix of luxurious hotel and cozy home. It was the type of place she hoped to own herself one day. She set her groceries on the counter and grabbed the bags Lindsey was holding, also setting them on the counter. Randy came in shortly after carrying the rest of the bags, which was quite a few and Chloe tried to make some space on the counter.

"Thanks." He said, offering her a smile as he set the bags on open spaces of the counter.

She smiled back and began to empty the grocery bags. "Uh, this yours?" She asked, amused as she held up red spice deodorant and the latest issue of Maxim magazine.

She would swear she saw him blush a little but, if it was there, it left just as quickly. "Yeah," He mumbled, quickly taking the items from her hands and looked around for a place to put them.

"You want to put those away? I'm pretty sure I can figure out where all the frozen and refrigerated food goes, unless there's a specific spot things go?" She asked and she saw out of the corner of her eye Lindsey go sit on the couch in the next room and flip on the TV.

"No, no, just, wherever is good. I'll be right back." He said as he fast walked out of the room. Chloe chuckled to herself as she pulled out a carton of milk and orange juice. She spent the next minute or two going through the grocery bags and putting the refrigerated items in their rightful places. Randy returned not too long after she finished and helped her put away the rest of the groceries.

"So where should we start?" She asked, rubbing her hands together.

He laughed at her and began gathering ingredients he would need. "Just go take a seat, I got this."

"I can't just sit back and let you do everything. Let me help." She said with her hands on her hips.

He looked at her and nodded. "If you say so." He turned his attention to Lindsey. "Linds, you want to help us?"

"Yeah!" The little girl exclaimed as she quickly shut off the TV and ran into the kitchen. Chloe and Randy both couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.

"Alright, so pretty much all we need to do is make our twice baked potatoes, a salad and maybe some biscuits. I've already got our pre-marinated tri-tip and we just have throw that on the grill when we're ready. Anything else you girls want?" He asked as he washed his hands. They both shook their head. "Well, then I guess we should get started. Lindsey, don't forget to wash your hands." He said as he pushed a foot stool over with his foot to sit directly under the faucet. The girl climbed the step and turned on the water right before the phone rang. Randy wiped his wet hands on a dish towel before answering the phone.

"Hello?" He greeted. "Hey man, one sec." He put his hand over the bottom of the phone and walked closer to Lindsey and Chloe, who was now washing her hands. "Mind if I take this call real fast? I'll be back in a couple minutes."

"Sure, no problem." Chloe answered after Lindsey nodded. "What should we get started on?"

"How about the potatoes?" He suggested. "You know how to make twice baked potatoes?"

She shot him a smirk and tilted her head to the side. "Of course, what kind of girl do you take me for?" She asked as she walked over the oven, opening the door. "These done?"

"Yeah, I put them in an hour or so ago." He said as he watched his daughter hand her teacher an oven mitt so she could take the potatoes out. He watched as Chloe put the potatoes on the counter. He also watched as Lindsey put her hand out to touch it and Chloe quickly put her hand over the small girls.

"You don't want to do that sweetheart, you'll burn yourself." She said sweetly. A smile graced Randy's lips before he knew it and he was stuck in a trance until he heard his name before repeated from the phone he was holding.

"Oh, hey, sorry," He said before walking out of the room to have a conversation with John. "What's up?"

* * *

"I thought you said you weren't going to St. Louis this year," John said, confused when he distinctly heard a female voice in the background that wasn't Lindsey's.

"I'm not. We're at home." Randy said.

"Well who else is there?" John asked curiously.

"Lindsey man, what's wrong with you?" He said with a laugh.

"Yeah, but who else?"

"Man, you're nosey. You really want to know?" He said then paused. "It's Lindsey's teacher."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Rand my man, Linds' teacher?" John asked, confused.

"Yeah, but it's not what you think."

"Well, last time we talked about this teacher, you were saying she was hot and I was warning you about the consequences if you decided to act on that attraction." Randy rolled his eyes, leave it to John.

"John, we ran into her at the grocery store and she was going to be all alone today. She was buying a chicken pot pie. A chicken pot pie! I couldn't let her eat that crap by herself on Easter." He explained to his best friend.

On the other side of the phone John let out a breath. "That's tough. where's her family?"

He shrugged. "I think she said something about her parents on vacation for their anniversary but I didn't ask man, I barely know her. "

John nodded. "Well that was real nice of you, I'm proud."

Randy laughed. "So what's up? Why are you calling me interrupting my time with not only my daughter, but my daughter's hot teacher?" He joked.

John rolled his eyes. "I just wanted to wish you and Lindsey a happy Easter."

"Thanks man, you too. Tell your mom and everyone I say the same."

"Will do brotha," John said before they both said their goodbye's and hung up. Randy made his way back into the kitchen and hung up the phone before turning around and seeing the two girls laughing as they mashed together the potatoes.

* * *

"I'm so full!" Lindsey exclaimed as she laid on the couch with her dad. He was sitting and her head was resting in his lap.

Randy laughed. "Me too, I never want to eat again." He ran his hair through his daughters hair.

"Oh come on you two! I still have dessert!" Chloe said happily from her spot on the other side of the couch with Lindsey's feet in her lap.

"Dessert? You have dessert?" Lindsey's head shot up.

A smile stretched across the teachers lips. "Of course I have dessert! What's a holiday dinner without dessert?" She asked the girl as she playfully tickled her.

"You're just trying to fatten us up." Randy inputted and they all laughed.

"Ok, you two relax here, and I'll go make it." Chloe said as she got up and walked into the kitchen. She got out her chocolate bars and fished around for a pan to melt it in. She finally found one and stood up, turning around and jumped back when Randy was standing directly behind her.

"Sorry," He said with a laugh as he took a step back. "I just wanted to know if you needed any help."

She set the pan on the stove and turned around to smile at him. "Sure, want to get the strawberries out of the refrigerator?" He nodded and did as he was told. "Randy?" She said a few moments later as she began to melt the chocolate and he washed the strawberries.

"Yeah?" He asked, glancing at her.

"I just wanted to thank you for inviting me over today." She left the chocolate and moved to stand next to him. He also stopped working and gave her his full attention. "I really appreciate it. I've had so much fun and the food was great. I just think it was really generous and thoughtful of you to let me butt in on your valuable time with your daughter. I imagine you don't get much time together and I think it was really sweet of you-" She was rambling and she only did that when she was nervous. Luckily, she was put out of her misery when Randy did the one thing they both have been hoping for since that night in the club. He silenced her with his lips. It surprised them both but didn't stop them from participating in it. She let out a sigh of satisfaction when Randy pressed closer to her, pushing her back against the counter. It wasn't until Randy smelled something burning that he pulled back from the kiss.

"Is something…burning?" He asked, glancing around the kitchen.

Chloe was just coming back down to earth when she jumped out of his arms and over to the stove top. "My chocolate!" She went back to tending to her chocolate and he went back to cleaning the strawberries with a chuckle. She's a good kisser, he thought, definitely wouldn't mind kissing those lips again.

He wiped off his wet hands when he was finished. "Wha-what else do I need to do?" His voice croaked at first, still recovering from that kiss.

"Um, can you spread out a piece of wax paper? I'm almost done here." She said and when he finished she walked over with her pot of chocolate. "Ok," She said. "Let's test it out." She grabbed one of the strawberries and dipped it in the chocolate, making sure to cover the majority of the surface. She turned to face Randy shyly, "Want to taste test it?" He nodded and leaned forward when she pointed the strawberry at him. He placed his hand over hers, but tightened his grip when she tried to pull her hand away. His eyes never left hers as he guided the strawberry into his mouth. He closed his eyes as he bit through the berry and nodded in approval. He chewed and swallowed before opening his eyes.

"That's delicious." He said, licking his lips of any leftover chocolate. She beamed at him and nodded before getting to work at making more of the delicious treat. "I'll go get Lindsey," He said after she had made a good four strawberries. He walked back in the kitchen, a few paces before his daughter and saw Chloe was just finishing off eating a strawberry.

"You have some chocolate on your face." He said and instead of letting her get it herself, or getting a napkin to wipe it, he leaned forward and kissed her again, getting the small bit of chocolate that was on the corner of her mouth. He pulled back before his daughter walked in and smiled at Chloe, offering her a wink. Now that he's had a taste, he didn't think he could ever stop kissing those lips.

* * *

**A/N: So I'm going out of town this weekend, I am going to try my hardest to update Thursday morning to tide you guys over for the weekend. Thanks for all your reviews, i love them!**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 6_

It had been a couple weeks since Easter and Chloe was a little disappointed because she hasn't seen Randy. Mr. Orton, she corrected herself bitterly. She knew he was a professional wrestler and was practically never home but she would appreciate a phone call. She doesn't just go around kissing her students fathers and she wants to talk to him to set the record straight that that could never happen again. But she didn't have his number and no way to reach him so her only hope was that he would find her number from the class syllabus she had given the parents at the beginning of the year, with her email and phone numbers, both school and home.

It was a Friday night and Chloe was sitting cross legged on the couch wearing teal velour sweatpants, a black camisole and her hair lazily thrown up into a ponytail. Her laptop was resting on her lap as she composed an email she was sending to all her students parents.

"Here you go my dear," Jessica said after walking into the apartment as she held out a grandee sized vanilla latte from Starbucks to her roommate. "Are you sure you don't want to go out tonight? It's going to be a lot of fun!" She tried to convince her friend with a smile and shake of her hips.

Chloe smiled as she accepted the coffee and shook her head as she took a sip. "No thank you, I have a lot of papers to grade and this email to write."

Jessica put a hand on her hips and shot her friend an 'are you kidding' look. "Ok, first of all, it's Friday, you have Saturday and Sunday to grade those papers, and excuse me? How long could this email possibly be?"

Chloe laughed and shrugged as shook looked down at the computer screen. She was in Microsoft Word, and the document was practically blank with the exception of the greeting. "All I have so far is, Dear Parents and/or Guardians,"

Jessica sat down next to her friend and tilted the laptop in her direction so she could get a better look. "I'll help you, then we can go out. So what's it about?"

"Well, the end of the year is approaching and I just kind of wanted to have a little end of the year party for all the kids and their parents. But I have no idea where to do it. I was going to do it in the clubhouse," She said, referring to their apartment complex's clubhouse. "But it's completely booked. So I was going to ask them for any suggestions they may have."

"Ok, how about you go get dressed, and I'll write a little rough draft and you can check it and add to it when you're done. Then we can head out." Jess suggested, sliding the laptop onto her lap.

"Jess, no, you go out and have fun. I'm not fun at clubs, you know that." Chloe said, putting her hand on the laptop to slide it back in her lap.

Jess shot her another knowing look. "Chlo-you haven't gone out in over a month. You have to get out there girl! You can't stay holed up in the apartment everyday doing work; you'll go crazy."

She laughed at her friend and tapped her fingers on the keyboard. "Somehow I doubt that. And I do go out, but I really need to finish. Maybe tomorrow I can go out with you guys."

Jessica looked at her friend as she stared at the computer screen, willing the right words to come to her. Chloe had told her about what had happened with Randy and she knew she was freaking about it. Jess had tried to convince her that it was ok, mistakes happen, and it wasn't going to cost her her job, but she was a worry wart and everyday she checked their answering machine, crossing her fingers that Randy would call so she could tell him kissing was not something they could do together. "Chlo-this isn't about Randy is it?" She asked gently, resting her hand on her roommates knee.

Chloe looked up, startled by the question. "Is what about Randy?"

"You…not wanting to go out."

She smiled and put her hand on top of her friends. "No way, Jess, you know me, going out has never been something I am really interested in."

Her friend pursed her lips but nodded when her cell phone rang, signaling her ride was there. "Alright, well good luck. Finish it so we can go out tomorrow!" She said as she swung her purse on her shoulder and walked out the door.

**A Week Later**

Randy let out a groan as he threw himself onto his bed in his hotel room. "Damn, man, you could have gone a little easy on me in that stfu."

John laughed as he pulled his shirt over his head and walked out of his jean shorts, leaving him in his boxers. "Sorry man, I got a little carried away." He said as he pulled back the covers in his bed and climbed inside and turned on the TV.

Randy was silent as he checked his voicemails on his phone. There was one from his mom, telling him he needed to start calling more often so she knew what was going on his life. There was another one from his brother telling him mom was bitching about his lack of checking in with her. Finally there was one from his baby girl, Lindsey. He smiled as she rambled on about her day, telling him about what she learned in school and what she ate for lunch. Then she started talking about how much she missed him and wanted to know when he was going to come back home. After the phone call went on the five minute mark, he heard his ex in the background telling Lindsey it was time for bed and time to say bye to daddy.

Randy hung up his phone and let out a yawn as he grabbed his laptop to check his emails. He leant his back against the headboard and turned his attention to the TV as he waited for his laptop to boot up. After a few minutes he opened his email account and went through every one, deleting all the spam and reading the other ones carefully.

He saw he had an email from his ex wife and opened it. It was a forwarded email from Lindsey's teacher, Chloe. He smiled at the thought of her. He hadn't seen her in person since Easter but he saw her almost every night in his dreams. She was a reoccurring partner in his dreams and on those nights when she appeared, he slept like a baby. He shook his head of the daydreaming of her and opened the email. Because of his high celebrity status, for Lindsey's school and some other things that required their email address, they put down Sam's because he didn't want his email getting out, so Sam forwarded him everything from school.

John looked at his friend and raised an eyebrow in confusion at his random smirk. "What's up?" He asked nodding his head at his laptop.

Randy looked over, startled. "Oh," He said when he realized what his friend was asking. "I got an email from linds' teacher."

John's eyebrows rose further. "The same teacher you made out with?" Randy smirked proudly and nodded. "I didn't know you stayed in contact with her." He said confused, that was very un-Randy Orton like.

Randy shook his head to correct his friend. "No, I don't. She emailed all the kids parents."

John nodded, that made a bit more sense. "What's it say?"

Randy turned his attention to the email before reading aloud. "As the school year comes to an end, and I complete my second year of teaching and you're children are ready to move on to the fourth grade, I find myself realizing how much I will miss these students. There is something special about each and every one of them and I know their futures are bright. I am planning on throwing an end of the year party for students and their parents but unfortunately the venue that I was hoping to put on hold for the party, is all booked and I have no alternatives. I was wondering if any one had any recommendations on where I could throw this party, at an affordable price, seeing as how I would like to spend my own money on the location and all decorations and food, as my gift to your students for working hard this year and to you for all your support. If you have any place in mind, please email me or give me a call, it would be greatly appreciated." Randy finished as his eyes studied her phone number carefully, burning it into his brain.

"If only you had an idea, you could have an excuse to call her," John joked as he turned his attention back to the TV.

Randy looked at his friend and grinned. "Oh I have an idea." John looked up at his friend, wondering what he was up to.

* * *

Jessica was at home, making dinner for herself and Chloe. Chloe had been really stressed out lately and she was hoping once school came to a close, she would be able to relax a little and maybe start going out with her friends more.

The phone rang and Jess set down the knife she was using to cut some vegetables and wiped her hands on a hand towel as she walked to the phone.

"Hello?" She greeted

"Hi, is this Chloe?" The male voice on the other end said.

"No, this is her roommate, Jessica. Chloe's actually at work right now, may I ask whose calling?" She asked as she grabbed a note memo that was sitting on the small table next to the phone and answering machine. The table was resting on the wall outside the kitchen and held the phone, answering machine, paper and a cup of pens with a bulletin board handing above it to pin messages for each other when they were out.

"This is Randy Orton, one of her student's dads. Can I maybe leave a message?"

"Of course," She said as she squatted so she could write on the table.

"If you can just let her know that I know of some place she can throw her end of the year party and she can give me a call for the details." Jessica nodded as she wrote down all the information and carefully listened to him as he recited his cell phone number.

"Ok, I will make sure she gets the message." She said, standing up to tack the note on the bulletin board.

"Thank you very much." They hung up and Jess read over the note carefully before her eyes widened. Randy? The same Randy Chloe made out with? How many of her students Dad's could be named Randy? She walked back into the kitchen to finish making dinner, wondering if Randy really just wanted to talk about the party.

* * *

Chloe walked into her apartment after work with a relieved sigh, happy to be home. She dropped her purse next to the table holding their phone and set her keys on the table. She glanced down at the answering machine and groaned when she saw there were no new messages. It had been almost a week since she sent the email and zero parents had gotten back to her. If she was going to throw this party, she needed to send the invitations out soon, but she couldn't do that without knowing the location. There was always the park, but that was her absolute last resort. Somehow, she didn't see the park impressing these set of parents.

She walked around the kitchen so she could sit at the bar stool and watch Jess cook.

"Hard day?" Jess asked, amused.

Chloe rolled her eyes and reached across the counter to grab a carrot that Jess hadn't cut yet. "This party is really causing me more stress than it's worth. I have heard from no parents and I spend recess and lunch searching online but nothing is available. Not even Chuck E' Cheese!" She said throwing her hands in the air as Jess laughed at her. "I was hoping someone would have called or emailed me today, but nope, nothing."

"Oh! Someone did!" She said as she remembered the phone call she had gotten a little bit ago.

She looked at her friend confused. "No, I checked the answering machine, there was no missed calls."

Jess shook her head and smiled. "The answering machine didn't pick it up, I answered." She quickly went and took the note off the bulletin board, coming back, holding it with a devious smile. "From a Mr. Randy Orton."

Chloe's eyes widened as she stared at her friend. She almost couldn't believe he had finally called. She reached out and snatched the note from her friends hand, reading the message carefully before looking back up. "Well, I guess I better go call him."

"Wait," Jess said as she grabbed a wine glass, pouring some red wine into it before handing it to her. "You might need this."

Chloe smiled gratefully. "Thank you." She grabbed the glass and the house phone before walking out onto the balcony, closing the door behind her. Their balcony wasn't much, just a view of the parking lot because they lived in a pretty small apartment complex, but it was nice to come out here for some fresh air sometimes. They had a small round table and two chairs out there for the mornings they wanted to come outside with their coffee and read the newspaper or gossip or something. She set her glass of wine on the table, took a seat at one of the chairs and rested her feet on the chair across from her. She looked down at the note, willing herself to find some courage. She knew from the message Randy had left that he wanted to talk about the party, but she was going to try to work the kiss into their conversation. She had to set the record straight. She inhaled a deep breath as she dialed the number written at the bottom of the piece of paper and exhaled as she put the phone to her ear, waiting for him to pick up.

* * *

**A/N: You guys are seriously so amazing with all your reviews! If I didn't update today, I would have been ashamed of myself, you guys deserve it. Thanks again! Sorry this chapter is a little boring, expect an update around Monday or Tuesday, hopefully Monday but, you never know. Send me your reviews, I love them! (Oh! And this story, if you haven't already noticed, jumps around a bit, time wise, just because I'm trying to speed things up a bit and I want to focus on Randy and Chloe, not so much all the little details that happen when they are away from each other. So I hope you guys enjoy that!)**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 7_

Randy looked at his phone when it rang. He looked at the caller id and smiled. He had been wondering if Chloe was ever going to return his call. He looked over at his sleeping friend and quietly made his way outside on the balcony.

"Hello?" He greeted, sliding the door closed behind him as he answered the call.

"Hi, Randy? This is Chloe. You called earlier?" Chloe asked a little shy.

"Yeah I did, I got your email and I actually know of some place that you can throw an end of the year party. It's never booked and best of all it's free." He said with a confident smile on his face.

She sat up a bit straighter at the word free. "Free? Are you sure?"

He chuckled a little. "Yeah,"

She paused, waiting for him to tell her where this place was. "What's it called?"

"My house."

Chloe was confused for a second. "Your house?"

"Yeah, why not? It's available, free and big enough." He said.

"I don't know, are you sure? I don't want to cause any trouble for you." She said.

"Hey, it's no trouble at all." He waved her off.

She smiled. "If you're sure, then that would be great. I can set it all up and do the clean up too. Thank you Randy."

"Yeah you're welcome," He said. They were both silent, Chloe trying to work their past kiss into the conversation and Randy waiting for her to end the conversation. "Was there something else you needed?" He asked politely. Truthfully, he didn't want to conversation to end but he wasn't sure what to say. He had never really been nervous around girls so it was weird for him to have nothing to say. Though he also had never really talked to girls on the phone. He was more of a texting or in person kind of guy.

"No," She said immediately then cringed. "No, I mean yes. Yes there is something else." She said and then closed her eyes when she spoke next, almost like it would be less embarrassing. "I just…that kiss, it shouldn't have happened. I know you probably don't feel anything for me but you should know I don't go around kissing my students dad's. It can never happen again." She said sternly.

Though Randy was disappointed, he couldn't help but smile. She was so sweet. He knew what she was saying was just words. What she was saying and what she actually meant were two different things. She was just doing what she thought was right. "Chloe, I understand. I can't say I'm not disappointed though, but I respect your decision."

Chloe smiled. "Great, I will email you with more information about the party in the next couple of days."

"Can't wait," He couldn't help but flirt.

**A Month Later**

Chloe had been running around all day. It was the Saturday of her end of the year party and she was scrambling for time. The party was supposed to start in a couple hours and she still hadn't gone to Randy's house yet to help him set up the backyard.

She pulled into the driveway next to Randy's car and went around to her trunk to grab a couple bags filled with table cloths and some paper plates, cups and silverware. She walked through the side gate like Randy had instructed her to. Her eyes widened slightly when she looked around. His backyard was huge! He had a nice sized deck connected to his house with a couple stairs that lead down into the actual yard. He had a big pool in the middle of the yard though there was still a large amount of patio and lawn. On the side of the yard, by the fence, was a trampoline where she knew many of the kids would spend their time today. She also noted a few plastic buffet tables lining the edge of the yard.

"You look great, though I'm not sure how the other parents will take this outfit." She heard Randy's deep voice from behind her. She turned and smiled as she saw him making his way down the deck. She looked down at what she was wearing and blushed. She knew she was not dressed very appropriate but she planned on heading back home after she was done setting up to change. She knew her denim shorts and purple spaghetti strap tunic wouldn't cut it.

"I know, I'm gonna head back home a little later to change." She said as she set her bags on one of the buffet tables. "Your backyard is beautiful." She told him as she unloaded her table cloths.

"Thanks, I even planted some flowers for the party." He said pointing around the yard at the assorted flowers.

She looked at him with an amused smile. "You planted those?"

"Well, not me, my neighbor offered to do it." He admitted and smiled when he heard her laugh. "She keeps my garden in order while I'm on the road."

"Well, they look gorgeous." She said as she began to spread one of the table cloths out. "I'm so glad you had these tables, you saved me a lot of money," She said referring to how much it would have cost her to rent buffet tables.

He jumped in to help her cover the tables. "Yeah, my parents used to have get togethers with their friends all the time so they keep these in storage." He said,.

"Okay, so I've got a couple more things to grab from my trunk then I'm going to head out and change then to grab the food." She said. She had decided to get the food catered so she wouldn't have to cook all the food but she had to pick it up from the restaurant.

"You need any help? I've got nothing to do." Randy suggested, hoping she would invite him to come along with her, maybe have him help her pick out an outfit for later.

She looked up at him and smiled wide. "I've got it all under control. Thanks though," She said as she made her way back to her car to grab some other supplies she had brought along.

* * *

Chloe looked at the clock nervously. The party started in less than an hour and she still had to go get the food. After finishing up at Randy's she realized that she had to stop by the store to go get some ingredients she needed to make the punch her mom used to make.

She took one last glance in the mirror, happy with her wavy hair and light made up face. She was wearing a casual tank dress with black on top and a white tiered skirt with black ribbon trim on each tier. She quickly pulled on her black flat thong sandals with braided strap, and she grabbed everything she needed before heading out the door and to pick up the food.

Chloe got back to Randy's with less then a half hour to go. She grabbed one of the trays of food and carried it into the backyard, setting it on the table. She went back and got another tray, setting it next to the other.

"I know you said you had it all under control but you sure you couldn't use another pair of hands?" Randy asked as he walked out of his house.

She turned around and smile in relief. "Actually, yes." She said and gestured for him to follow her to her car. There she gave him two trays of food, one for each arm and she grabbed the things she would need to make her punch. "If you could grab the rest of the food, I'll start making the punch." She said as she went back to the car with Randy to grab the rest of the soda she needed. "Oh no," She said when she got back to the table. She turned to Randy who was walking back with two more trays of food. "You wouldn't happen to have a punch bowl would you?" She asked hopefully.

Randy laughed a little and shrugged. "What's a punch bowl?"

She couldn't help but smile at that. "Do you mind if I go inside and take a look?"

He shook his head. "No, come on, I'll show you where we keep our bowls." She followed him inside and watched as he opened one of the low cabinets. She crouched down and looked through, using her hand to move some things around to see deeper. Finally, she spotted something that she could use. "That's a punch bowl? It's just a big glass bowl."

"It's perfect," She said as she carefully carried it back into the backyard and she got to work pouring grapefruit soda, fruit punch and lemon lime soda in the bowl, using the ice cream scoop she brought to mix it all together. Then when she was done, she used her scoop to put many scoops of rainbow sherbet ice cream into the punch.

"Why are you putting ice cream in the punch?" Randy asked confused as he sat the last of the food trays on the table.

"Trust me, it's delicious. It's my mom's recipe, I had this concoction at every birthday party growing up." She said as she scooped some punch into a cup and handed it to Randy. He looked at it a bit disturbed before bringing the cup to his lips. He nodded after he finished the cup.

"That's good." He admitted, tossing the cup into trash can nearby.

"Told you," She said as she looked around the yard to figure out what else she had to do. "I think we're ready."

"Looks great," Randy said, though he wasn't looking at the yard, he was looking her over. He definitely liked this new outfit she'd changed into.

She looked at him and smiled gratefully. "Thanks again for letting me have this here." She said, pushing herself on her tip toes to press a kiss to his cheek before she left the backyard to make sure there was nothing left in her car.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little short, things are going to pick up next chapter. Thanks for all your reviews, seriously, they make me laugh and want to write even more.**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 8_

The party had been in full swing about a little over an hour now. Chloe was making her rounds, participating in conversation with all the parents and students. She made her way back over to the tables full of food so she could refill her cup of punch. She noticed that the bowl was almost empty so she quickly went inside and grabbed a couple of extra liters of soda she had brought. She brought them back out and quickly mixed together more punch. "How are you doing?" She asked amicably to the pair of mothers that walked up to the table. They smiled back and launched into how wonderful this party was. "Aw, thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, I worked really hard."

"It shows." They said before walking away back to where they had been previously. Chloe took the time to look around the yard. People were scattered everywhere. There were kids chasing each other in the pool with their parents looking on closely from where they were sitting on lounge chairs. Some of the kids were jumping happily in the trampoline off to the side and the rest of the kids were busy running from their spots sitting in the grass to the food table refilling their plates. Most of the parents were chatting away with other parents.

"Miss Ryan?" She heard someone to her right. She turned and smiled when she saw Lindsey's mom, Randy's ex-wife, standing next to her.

"Mrs. Orton, hi, how are you?" She asked happily.

She smiled back. "Call me Sam. This party is great, you did a wonderful job."

"Thanks, I appreciate that. Though it never would have happened if it weren't for Randy. I could not find one place available." She explained.

"Funny, you bring that up. I was actually wondering how you convinced Randy to allow you to have the party here." Sam said curiously.

Chloe furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Sam chuckled a little. "Well, when we were married, Randy would fight me tooth and nail when I suggested we have people over. With the exception of his parents, siblings and wrestling buddies, he refused to let anyone over."

"Really?" Chloe asked surprised.

"Yeah, so what did you do?" She asked.

Chloe shrugged. "I didn't do anything. He actually suggested I have it here."

Sam's raised her eyebrow surprised. "Really?"

She shrugged again. "Yeah, he said his backyard would be perfect."

"Hmm," She said suspiciously as she gazed across the backyard where her ex-husband was standing with a can of soda in his hand as he chatted away with another dad. "He must have charged you then, Randy's all about capitalizing on desperate situations."

Chloe inhaled and let out a breath, lifting her shoulders as if she didn't know what to tell her. "Nope. He said it was free." Sam nodded slowly. She was wondering what Randy was up to; he absolutely hated having people over t his house.

She turned back to the young teacher and forced a smile. "Well, I'm glad, you did a great job, the kids are having a ball."

"Thanks," Chloe responded sweetly as she watched Sam walk away.

* * *

The party had winded down an hour ago. Chloe, Randy, Sam and Lindsey were the last ones there. Chloe was over at the buffet tables, throwing away trash and cleaning up. She glanced at the open side gate where Lindsey, Sam and Randy were standing. Sam was off to the side while Randy was on his knee as he said bye to Lindsey. She guessed that Sam had Lindsey this week. She turned her attention back to the table as she tossed an empty food tray in the trash.

"Miss Ryan!" Lindsey yelled as she ran over to where her teacher was. Chloe turned toward the voice and smiled wide. "Thank you for throwing the party, it was fun," She said and Chloe noticed Randy looking on, Sam looking at him, studying him. It was clear Linds was sent over to say goodbye before she left.

"I'm glad, I had fun too." She said as she bent down to give the girl a hug. "I'll see you in class on Monday." Unfortunately, even though this was an end of the year party, school was still in session for another few weeks.

"Bye!" The girl said before running back to her parents. She gave her dad one last hug and kiss before grabbing her mom's hand and leaving with her.

"Need any help?" Randy asked as he strolled over to the teacher with his hands in his pockets.

"Sure," She said as she continued to clear off the tables, dumping anything that wasn't salvageable in the trash. They finished cleaning in silence before they made their way inside, carrying leftovers. "Thanks again for letting me throw this here, I really appreciate it." She said as Randy took out a roll of aluminum foil to spread over the tops of the trays.

"Stop thanking me," He said lightly. "I don't mind."

Chloe's mind flashed to her conversation with Sam. "Are you sure?"

He looked at her funny. "Yeah, why?"

She let out a sigh. "Well, I was talking to Sam,"

He laughed. "Oh god, what'd she say?"

"She wanted to know what I had to do to get you to have the party here. And she was really surprised when I told her you suggested it. She said that you didn't like having people over." She explained, resting her back against the counter, facing him.

He shrugged. "It's not that I don't like it." He said as he turned towards her, taking a step closer. "She just always wanted to her friends over and they are obnoxious, spoiled bitches." Chloe chuckled a little, putting a smile on Randy's face. "Plus, sometimes people just don't respect your home, so if I can avoid having people over, I usually do."

"But it was your idea to have it here," She said confused.

"Well, that's the backyard and I know the kids would be plenty occupied." He explained, taking another step closer to her.

She nodded. "Well, again, thanks,"

His smile widen. "What'd I tell you about that word?" He joked. "And if I am honest here, there's another reason I suggested my house."

She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Call it an ulterior motive. I've been looking for a way to contact you ever since…well, Easter. And then I got your email and it gave me the perfect excuse." He admitted.

She sighed, though inside she was jumping for joy. "Randy," She said putting her hand up, ready to tell him again that what happened between them a month ago was a mistake.

Randy reached out and grabbed her hand and brought it to rest on his chest as he got even closer. "I know what you're going to say but you don't really mean that, do you?" He asked and got no response. Chloe just looked up at him, speechless at their close proximity. "I like you Chloe," He said quietly in respect to the tense mood. "I like you a lot." He said before lowering his mouth to her. He was surprised at the lack of resistance he received. His tongue skimmed her lips and she immediately opened her mouth, her tongue tentatively touching his. Randy got a hold of both her arms and guided them to lock around his neck. He deepened the kiss and when he heard her moan he lifted her up, setting her on top of the counter as her legs locked around his waist.

Chloe broke the kiss. Randy guided his attention to her neck and she subconsciously leaned her head to the side to give him better access. "Randy," Her voice croaked. "We should stop," She said all the while her hand massaged his scalp in encouragement.

Randy's lips smiled against her skin. He pulled away just enough so they were eye to eye. "You don't want that do you?" Silence. "Chloe," His voice practically purred. "Stop thinking, go with what your body is telling you, what your heart is saying."

They stared at each other, breathing heavily. After a couple minutes, Randy nodded, about to give in and lift her off the counter when her hands, still wrapped around his neck, gently gripped his head, not allowing him to divert his attention. She took a deep breath before leaning forward and pressing her lips to his. Randy let out a groan of surprise and satisfaction. He checked to make sure her legs were locked securely around his waist before wrapping his arms around her waist. He easily lifted her off the counter and carried her upstairs to his bedroom.

* * *

**A/N: It's about time huh? I Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, keep your reviews coming, they seriously keep me motivated.**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 9_

"Wow," Chloe said as Randy rolled off her, both parties breathing heavily. "That was…" She trailed off, not knowing how to describe it.

Randy laughed. "Yeah it was," He said, turning her his to smile at her. She turned her head too and couldn't help but return the grin.

"I gotta tell ya, I did not see my day going this way," She said, rolling on her side as she set her hand on his chest.

"Is that good?" Randy asked, wanting to make sure she didn't regret what they did.

"Definitely," She admitted as she remembered the previous activity they had been engaged in.

They sat there just staring at each other for a couple minutes. Randy leaned in to kiss her lips but right before their lips touched, they faintly heard the sound of someone slamming the front door closed. They both froze and looked at the door to his room. "Randy? You here man?" A deep male voice called up the stairs.

Chloe, eyes wide, looked at Randy. "Who's that?" She hissed quietly as if the person could hear her if she talked normally.

Randy let out a sigh. "It's my friend John." He stood up and walked over to his door, opening it a crack. "John! I'm up here, I'll be down in a minute!" He yelled.

"Alright, I'm gonna make a sandwich or something," His friend said, making Randy laugh. He closed his door and turned around to face Chloe. He was disappointed to see she already was out of bed and had her bra and panties on. "Hey, where you going?"

She looked at him confused. "Randy, you're friend is here, I can't stay!" She said hysterically. "What if he came up here and saw us?"

"I can get rid of him," He offered as he walked closer to her, putting his hands on her hips.

Her eyes widened. "Randy, what if that had been Lindsey or Sam?"

He smiled and leaned forward, pressing his lips to her neck. "Hey, don't worry ok?" She let out a shaky sigh. "Hey, listen, since you don't want to stay, how about I hang out with John for a little bit and then I'll call you after he leaves. We can get dinner or something."

She looked at her feet and shook her head. "Randy…I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, I don't do this. I don't hook up with my students parents and I don't think I should start now." She paused and ran a hand through her hair. "What happened…that shouldn't have happened."

"Hey," Randy said seriously, taking her hand into his. "don't say that. Just a minute ago you were happy about what we did. There's nothing wrong with what we just did,"

"But you're Lindsey's dad and I'm her teacher," She explained.

"I know that but I don't think there's anything in the rules that say we can't get together." He said.

"I don't know…it just wouldn't feel right." She admitted.

Randy was silent for a minute and watched her as she pulled on her dress. "Ok, how about I call you after John leaves and we can talk on the phone about this?"

She sighed and nodded, giving in. "Okay,"

He smiled. "Great," He lead them out of the room and before they descended the steps, he pulled her to him, sealing their lips in a kiss. He pulled back and smiled in satisfaction when he saw the dazed look in her eyes. "You might need to fix that hair," he said as he lead her into the bathroom. Chloe blushed when she saw her hair. Most of her curls fell limp past her shoulders and her hair was mussed everywhere. The very definition of sex hair. She used the brush Randy handed her and tried to fix that mess on top of her hair. Finally she just gave up and used the ponytail tie she kept on her wrist to pull her hair back into a low ponytail.

They walked downstairs and into the kitchen. "Hey man, sorry about that," Randy said to John, leading the way in the room.

"No problem, I made a sandwich. Man did you have a party or something and not invite me?" John asked, noticing all the extra trays of food, as he put the other slice of bread on top of the sandwich he made as he turned to face his friend. "Oh," He said when he saw Chloe standing a little behind Randy. "You have company."

Randy laughed and nodded, putting his hand on the small of Chloe's back to push her forward a little bit. "This is Lindsey's teacher, Chloe. Remember I told you she was having an end of the year party here? That was today, she was helping me put some stuff away in the guest bedroom."

John nodded and put his hand out to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you,"

"You too," She said with a smile as she shook his hand. "Well, I'll leave you two alone," She said as she walked toward the sliding glass door that lead to the backyard.

"You sure? I don't mind if you want to stay," John said, feeling like she was only leaving because he showed up.

She smiled politely. "Thank you but I should probably head on home. My roommate probably wants to know how the party went." She said as she grabbed her purse, putting it on her shoulder. "I'm gonna head out this way to grab some of my stuff," She said as she opened the door.

Randy nodded, "Alright, need any help?"

She shook her head. "I got it, thanks." She said before going outside, closing the door behind her as she walked toward her bags of things she brought. John and Randy both watched her through the kitchen window as she grabbed her bags and walked out the side gate.

John turned to Randy and shook his head. "You slept with her didn't you?" He asked before taking a bite of his sandwich.

Randy laughed at his friends bluntness. "How'd you know?"

"Please, don't insult me," John shot back. "What did I tell you about getting involved with her? It's only going to be trouble."

Randy shook his head. "She's only Lindsey's teacher for another month, it's not that bad."

John shook his head as he chewed. He didn't like this but he couldn't tell his friend what to do. "So…how was it?"

Randy raised an eyebrow. "The party?"

John snorted a laugh. "What do you think? I was referring to the after party."

Randy laughed and sat at the bar stool. "It was…pretty amazing."

* * *

Chloe walked into her apartment, setting her purse down next to the door. "Hello? Anyone home?" She yelled though she heard the TV on in the living room.

"In here!" She heard Jess yell back. She followed the voice and smiled when she saw Jess sitting on the couch with Rachel.

"Hey, what are you two up to?" She asked as she sat in a chair.

"Oh my god," Rachel said.

"What?" Chloe asked confused.

Jess smiled wide. "You slut!"

Chloe's brows furrowed. "What?"

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "You had sex," She stated knowingly.

Chloe's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Was she that transparent? "Wha…what?"

"Don't play innocent!" Jess threw a pillow at her. "You slept with someone and we want to know who!"

Chloe sighed, realizing she was going to have to tell them. "Alright, alright." She paused, hugging the pillow to her body. "It was Randy."

"Randy?" Rachel asked in confusion.

"You know that dad of one of her students," Jess reminded her friend. She turned her attention back to Chloe, smiling wide. "I can't believe you did it with him!" She squealed happily.

"We want details girl!" Rachel said pulling Chloe to sit between her and Jess. Chloe couldn't help but laugh at her friend's behavior and launch into all the details.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews last chapter, they were great! Also, I know many of you are wondering about Sam, and she will be back in a couple chapters. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 10_

A couple hours later, Chloe was lying on the couch in her living room, the remote in her hand as she flipped through the TV channels. Jess and Rach were off to another club for the night. They'd begged Chloe to come with them claiming she needed to celebrate getting laid. They weren't taking no for an answer and it wasn't until she told them Randy was supposed to call her that they let her off the hook.

Truthfully, Chloe was hoping Randy wouldn't call. She didn't know what to say. Sure, before she left his house, he wanted to continue seeing her but she couldn't help but be insecure. Why would Randy Orton, of all people, be interested in her? She looked at the time and frowned. It was almost ten o'clock. If he was going to call, he probably already would have. She assumed he lost interest and forgot about her.

She let out a knowing sigh and closed her eyes to go to sleep- too tired to get up and go to her room. She fell asleep almost instantly but was awoken a few minutes later by a ringing phone. She tiredly looked around for the source of the noise and hit answer immediately to stop the loud ringing.

"Hello?" She greeted groggily.

"Hey, did I wake you?" The voice asked softly.

"Randy?" She asked, now more alert after hearing his voice.

Randy chuckled on the other end. "Yeah, it's me. You expecting someone else?"

"No, I just wasn't sure if you were going to call." She admitted.

"Yeah, sorry about calling so late. John and I lost track of time." Randy said apologetically.

"Oh, it's okay."

"So, what are you doing?" He asked, not wanting to just jump right into things.

She shrugged and glanced at the TV, seeing she'd stopped on a Spanish soap opera before she'd fallen asleep. "Just watching TV, you?" She asked as she picked up the remote and flipped the device off.

"Just sitting on the couch, talking to you." He said with a smile. She smiled but didn't say anything. Randy cleared his throat to break the silence. "So, we should go out some time."

She let out a sigh, knowing this would be coming. "Randy…I don't know…"

"Chloe, come on. I'm not asking you to marry me, I'm asking for one date." He said, hoping to get through to her. She still didn't say anything. "We obviously both have feelings for each other, whether you want to admit it or not, otherwise what happened today wouldn't have happened. I think we owe it to ourselves to at least go on one date." He tried to reason with her.

Chloe nodded, seeing where he was coming from. Plus, it's not everyday someone as good looking as Randy Orton asks you out, she should take advantage of it. But there was one thing holding her back. "But, that doesn't change the fact that you're Lindsey's dad." She explained and continued when she felt like Randy was going to say something. "And I know it's not against the rules or anything but it's just not something I'm comfortable with."

Randy let out a frustrated sigh. He liked that she had morals and stuck to her guns but he just wanted a chance. He was silent for a while as he tried to think of a solution. "Okay, well, what it we wait to go out until the summer? You won't be Lindsey's teacher anymore, and I'll just be another guy." He finally suggested.

Chloe tilted her head to the side in thought. She'd never thought about that. "Yeah…yeah, I guess that would work."

Randy smiled wide. "Perfect,"

"Great, so I'll talk to you later?" She asked.

"You will definitely be hearing from me." Randy flirted before they both said their goodbyes and hung up.

* * *

**June**

It was the last day of school and the kids were having a little party in class and some of their parents were hanging out too, helping Chloe clean the classroom and get everyone any extra work she had.

"Thank you, James." Chloe said as she accepted the gift one of her students gave her. "That's very nice of you."

"Your welcome," James said before he walked back to his desk to empty the contents in his desk into a brown paper bag.

She set the gift on her desk with the others that she had received that day.

"Daddy!" She heard one of the students yell. She turned around to see Randy walking in the door, Lindsey launching herself at him.

She turned back around instantly. She hadn't seen him since the end of the year party she'd thrown; though they had talked a couple of times on the phone and texted some. She wasn't prepared to actually see him.

She hadn't spoken to him in a while and she wondered if he remembered their deal. Part of her hoped he did- she wanted to get to know him better. But another part of her hoped he didn't and she would be let off the hook.

Randy laughed as his daughter ran off excitedly. He looked around, looking for a certain teacher. His eyes lit up when he saw Chloe. She had her back to him and was looking through cabinets, pulling out old art projects by the students. He took the time to look her over. He hadn't seen her in over a month and she looked even more beautiful than he remembered. She had her hair pulled back into a loose bun, her body encased in a feminine white, blue and purple floral dress and her feet pressed into black heels.

Chloe frantically searched through the large cabinets in front of her trying to keep herself looking busy so she didn't have to go over and talk to Randy. It wasn't long before she smelled a familiar cologne near her. "Hey," Randy simply said. He was far enough away from her so the other parents didn't get the wrong impression, but close enough so she could feel his breath on her neck.

She turned around and smiled, pretending to have just seen him. "Oh, hi, how are you?" She asked as she closed the cabinet doors.

"Good now that I see you," He said with a smirk. "How have you been?"

She shrugged. "I'm good, sad the school year's over though, I'm going to miss those kids." She said as her gaze trailed over to her students.

"Yeah, Linds is gonna miss you as a teacher, but I can't say I'm disappointed that it's summer." He said and moved to stand next to her instead of in front of her.

She looked up at him. "So you can spend more time with Lindsey?"

He looked down at her and shot her a goofy smile. His hand moved to gently rest on the small of her back. "Well, there is definitely that, but I was thinking more about our deal and spending more time with you."

Chloe blushed and looked down. She definitely remembered the deal they had, to go out once summer arrived, but she honestly hadn't expected him to remember. "Oh yeah,"

"You forgot?" He asked, slightly hurt.

She immediately looked up. "No, I haven't forgotten. Trust me, I remember. I just wasn't sure if you would."

Randy couldn't help but chuckle. "You thought I would forget? It was my idea; I had to talk you into it in the first place." She shrugged in embarrassment. Randy rubbed her back reassuringly. "So you're still up for it right?"

She looked at him and nodded. "Yeah,"

"Great, how about tomorrow? I could pick you up around seven and we can get dinner or something." He suggested. Though he looked cool and calm on the outside, he was a nervous wreck on the inside.

A slow smile spread across her face. "Yeah, that sounds good. Seven it is."

* * *

**A/N: FINALLY!! haha Thank you for all your wonderful reviews, you guys are seriously the best.**


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 11_

"Are you sure that's not too much?" Chloe asked Rachel skeptically. Tonight was her date with Randy and both Rachel and Jessica insisted that they help her get ready. She was sitting on one of her bar stools that they'd moved in the bathroom as Jess finished curling her hair while Rach brought in possible outfits that she had found after snooping through both Jess and Chloe's closets. At the moment, Rachel was holding up a dress she had never seen before so it was obviously from Jess's eclectic closet. It was a really simple one shouldered black dress but Chloe was concerned that it was too short and, from what she could see, very tight.

Rachel hung the dress hanger on the bathroom door and turned her attention to her friend. "Please, it's perfect for a first date. Simple enough to say you are not high maintenance yet still young and cute that tells him you know how to have fun." Chloe shot her a skeptical look.

"I don't want him to think I am easy." She argued.

Jess moved to stand in front of her, abandoning Chloe's hair for a moment. "Chlo, it's a little too late for that, you already slept with the man." She smiled.

Chloe blushed but smiled too before letting out a soft laugh. "Okay, okay, you are right. I will trust your judgment." She conceded, throwing her hands in the air.

"Alright, great, I'll go find some accessories." Rach said before making her way out of the bathroom. Jess continued working on her hair as Chloe waiting patiently.

"What if he doesn't like me?" Chloe asked, her nerves now taking over.

"What are you talking about? He is going to love you!" Jess encouraged as she finished her hair and moved to stand if front of her so she could do makeup.

Chloe wrinkled her brow, not so sure. "But I haven't been on a date in over a year! I don't know what to talk about. What if I make a fool of myself?"

Jess smiled at her friend as she put moisturizer on her face. "Chlo, you will be fine. Stop stressing. You're not going to say anything stupid and even if you did, he will probably think it's cute. Just relax."

Chloe took a couple deep breaths and willed herself to calm down. Jess was right, she was going to be fine and Randy was going to enjoy her company and they would have a great date. "You're right." She said exhaling.

* * *

"Mom, I know, I'm sorry I didn't make it to your house for dinner this week but I promise I'll be there next week." Chloe said into the phone. After Jess had finished her hair and makeup, her friends threw her into the bathroom with her outfit and accessories and instructed her to get ready. She had just started putting on her earrings when her mom called, wanting to tell her daughter just how mad she was that she was flaking on their weekly dinner plans.

Her mom huffed. "I still don't know why you can't make it."

"Didn't dad tell you? I have a date." She explained to her mom as she cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder as she tried to put on her diamond stud earrings.

She could practically see the grin cross her mom's face. "You do? With who? Anyone I know?" She asked excitedly.

"No one you know," Chloe answered.

"Well who is he? How'd you meet?"

Chloe bit her lips, not sure what she should share with her mom. She'd probably be concerned if she found out he was one of her students dads. "His name is Randy and I met him at school. His daughter goes there." She answered, not really lying, just not telling the whole truth.

"He has a daughter?" Her mom asked. Chloe held her breath, wondering if her mom was going to lecture her on responsibility or if she would be happy. "Oh, that is great! If things work out I would have a granddaughter!" Chloe couldn't help but chuckle.

"Whoa, whoa mom, slow down. We haven't even gone on our first date yet." She said, hoping her mom wouldn't get too excited.

Her mom chuckled. "Oh I know dear. Well you have a good time tonight and make sure you share all the details when we see each other next week."

"Alright, bye mom," She said before hanging up. She looked at herself in the mirror after she finished putting on her earrings and a few bangle bracelets. Her hair was curled falling down over her shoulders. Her makeup was smokey and sexy. The dress was skin tight with the fabric wrapping around one of her shoulders and the length fell about mid thigh. She had to admit, it looked better than she thought it would.

"Hey! What's taking so long? He is going to be here soon and we want to see our work before he gets here!" Jess yelled from her spot next to Rachel on Chloe's bed.

"Hold on!" Chloe yelled back as she made sure she put everything on before slipping on the simple black pumps Rach had picked out from her wardrobe. She opened the door and waited a second before walking through.

Both her friends smiled wide and turned to each other, high-fiving. "Damn, we are good." Rach said proudly.

"He is not going to know what to do with himself." Jess confirmed with a nod right before there was a knock at the front door.

Chloe's eyes went wide as if she just realized that she was going on a date with Randy. "Oh my god! It's him! What do it do?" She asked frantically.

"Relax. You sit down and collect yourself for a few minutes. We'll answer the door and keep him occupied until you're ready. Okay?" Jess suggested. Chloe nodded as she sat down and watched her friends leave her room, shutting the door behind them. She heard them open the door and greet Randy. Then she heard them lead him over to the living room area. When she heard them ask what his intentions were, she knew it was her cue. She opened the door and pulled it closed behind her.

"Hi," She said in a soft voice and watched as all eyes turned to her though she was only looking at Randy and she was not disappointed when she saw his eyes light up as he looked her over.

"Hey," He said as he stood up and walked over to her. "You look…beautiful."

She let out a relieved breath and smiled. "Thank you," She looked him over and saw that he was wearing a pair of jeans with a black button down shirt that hugged all his muscles. "You look very handsome."

He smiled back. "Thank you. You ready to go?" He asked, offering her his arm.

"Yeah, let's go." She said as she gripped her clutch tight in one hand and linked her other arm with his.

"It was nice to meet you girls, hopefully we will see each other again." Randy said to her friends.

"I'm sure we will." Jess said with a wink to Chloe.

"Bye guys," Chloe said as she steered Randy towards the door.

"You two have fun now," Rach said as they followed the pair to the door.

"Yes, and please, whatever you do, use protection." Jess added. Chloe turned to face her friend with wide eyes.

Chloe turned back to face forward as her and Randy walked down the hall of their apartment. "She is so embarrassing." She mumbled as Randy just laughed and waved goodbye to her friends.

* * *

**A/N: Love you guys and you're reviews! Date next chapter, I promise!**


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 12_

"Wow, Randy, this place is really nice," Chloe said to her date once they were seated and placed their food and drink orders with their waiter.

Randy smiled, pleased that she approved of his dining choice. He had spent a lot of time thinking about where he wanted to take her. He didn't want to take her to some cheap restaurant but he also didn't want her, or himself for that matter, to feel uncomfortable in an extremely fancy place, but he still wanted to impress her so he settled for something in between. "I'm glad you like it," He said as he crossed his arms on top of the table. "So tell me about yourself."

Chloe smiled. She hadn't been on a date in a while but she definitely remembered that phrase, she hated it. It was so broad, though she was guilty of using the phrase herself a few times over the years. "Well, I was born in LA and lived there until I was about six when I moved here. I moved back to LA for college where I graduated from UCLA with a major in education and a minor in journalism. After school I moved back here and started teaching," She explained.

"Wow, UCLA? Impressive." He complimented.

She smiled. "Thanks. What about you? What's your story?"

He shrugged. "Not much to tell. Met Sam in high school, we moved in together after then before I know it, she's pregnant with Lindsey. I started training and eventually was called up into WWE." He answered, giving her the short version of his life.

"So did you always know you wanted to be a wrestler?" She asked curiously. Since meeting Randy, she had caught a couple episodes of the show and she was impressed with what she saw, especially when Randy was in the ring.

"Well, my dad and my grandpa were both wrestlers so I've always been around it and interested in it. Initially after high school, I enlisted with the Marines but eventually I realized that it wasn't for me so I gave pro wrestling a try and turns out I really love it."

"Wow, your dad and your grandpa? So it's kind of in your blood?" She questioned, leaning forwards, really interested in learning more about him.

"Yeah, it definitely is." He answered confidently.

"So I bet you'd be really happy if Lindsey got into it huh?" She asked.

Randy made a face and shrugged. "I'd love it if she could follow in my footsteps. But, seeing the way the divas are portrayed on TV and treated by creative, I don't know if I want that for her, maybe if things changed by the time she's old enough." He shrugged again. "But I would never stand in the way of her doing what she was passionate about. So if that's what she wanted, I'd support her one hundred percent." Chloe smiled at his honest answer. "So, what about you? You always want to be a teacher?"

She nodded. "Yeah, ever since I was a kid. I used to teach a pretend class in my room when I was a kid. I would sit in my room, reading out loud to my pretend class, teaching math with a my little white board. I even made seating charts." She said, her cheeks turning red at the embarrassing story.

Randy chuckled. "That's cute. You can tell you really like what you do when you teach." He said referring to career day when he, along with the other parents, watched her teach a small lesson before their presentations.

"Thanks, you too, you can really tell you love your job." She added.

He raised an eyebrow with his signature smirk. "You've seen me wrestle?"

She blushed a little at the way he was staring at her. "I was curious,"

His smile widened. "So am I your favorite?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Well…" She said trailing off. She had definitely enjoyed watching Randy but she just wanted to mess with him a little bit.

"Well? What do you mean well? You mean to tell me that I am not your favorite?" He asked playfully. She simply shrugged. "Alright who is it? Who do I need to beat up?"

She smiled. "It's actually your friend that I met, John." She said because he was the only one whose name she remembered, and that was only from meeting him.

Randy tilted his head to the side. "John?"

She shrugged. "What can I say? I like how loud he is and the fans seem to like him, he seems like a safe choice. Oh and I love his orange shirts."

Randy squinted at her before grinning. "You're messing with me,"

She giggled a little. "I'm only kidding. From what little I've seen, you are definitely my favorite. You are very intense and sexy on camera." She said. Randy raised an eyebrow at her bluntness. He liked this side of her, this playful, sexy side.

"What you don't think I'm sexy off camera?" He joked.

She shook her head with a laugh and threw her hands up in the air. "I don't know, maybe it's those trunks."

Randy pressed his lips together and leaned forward a little. "Well, maybe I can wear those for you one day," He said in a sexy voice.

She raised one of her eyebrows, her smile never leaving her lips. "Maybe you should," She couldn't believe the things she was saying tonight! It must be the wine she was drinking and the sexual tension between the two that was making her feel invincible.

* * *

"That was so good, I definitely have to come back to this place." Chloe said as she and Randy settled back into his car after dinner. "I had a really great time tonight," She said, turning her head to look at him in the dark.

"Well, it's not over yet," Randy said as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Where are we going?" She asked, happy the date wasn't over yet.

He glanced at her quickly, flashing her a smirk. "You'll see," They traveled in silence for a good ten minutes before pulling up to his house. She looked at him oddly, wondering what he was expecting from her. Dammit, she thought to herself, I knew this dress was going to make me look easy.

"Randy…I don't know what you-" She started but was cut off when Randy interrupted her.

"It's not what you think. I don't expect anything from you, I just made dessert." He said, looking at her, hoping she would come inside with him. "I can take you back to your place if you don't want to come in but I can assure you I made something delicious." He said with a smile.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and nodded. "Yes, I would love to come inside." Randy got out and walked over to the passenger seat to help her out before he wrapped an arm around her waist and led her inside his house.

"How about you go take a seat outside on the porch swing and I'll grab us something to drink." He suggested, opening the door leading to his backyard, motioning for her to sit on the porch swing on the deck. Randy walked into the kitchen as Chloe made herself comfortable. He grabbed two wine classes and a bottle of wine, as well as the dessert he made. It wasn't much but it was kind of a tribute to their first kiss: chocolate covered strawberries. He realized that was very girly of him but he didn't care. He walked outside and sat next to her, placing the things he was holding on the small table in front of them. "It's not crème brule or anything but it's the thought that counts right?" He asked, nervously as he looked at her.

She smiled sweetly and put her hand on his leg. "It's actually really thoughtful." She said, giving him her approval.

He smiled wide and let out a breath of relief. "Good." He said as he poured each of them a glass of wine. Chloe accepted the glass and the strawberry he offered, taking a bite of it as he held it.

She closed her eyes at how good it tasted. "That's good, better than mine." She admitted as she opened up her eyes and saw him eating what was left of the strawberry she started. They leaned back as Randy wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer as they looked out into the night in front of them.

"So you really had a good time tonight?" He questioned seriously. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"

She looked up at him and frowned. "Of course not. I really enjoyed myself tonight. Honestly, I haven't felt that comfortable around a guy since…I don't even know when." She said honestly.

Randy smiled. "Good because I had a great time too." He paused as he lifted his hand to push her hair behind her ear. "If we're being honest, I don't remember ever liking a girl this much after only one date."

Chloe swore she stopped breathing after he said that. "That's probably the nicest thing a guy has ever told me." She said barely above a whisper.

"It's true. I already can't wait until the next time I can see you," He said, his voice matching hers.

Her eyes trailed down to his lips as she closed her eyes and leaned forward, attaching her lips to his. Randy immediately returned the kiss, pulling her closer to him. The kiss was slow but passionate as they both gave into their desires. Neither wanted the kiss to end but when Randy felt her hands moving under his shirt, he knew he had to stop it before things went too far. "Hey," He whispered as he pulled away. "We should probably stop. I should get you home."

Chloe looked into his eyes before closing her eyes again, pressing a peck on his lips. She knew what she wanted to do and she had a feeling he wanted the same thing, he was just trying to be a gentleman. She opened her eyes again and looked at him, her gaze smoldering with want. "I don't want to leave. Let's go upstairs," She suggested.

Randy wanted to resist but he didn't have that much willpower. "You sure? I don't want you to regret this."

She smiled as she stood up, pulling him with her. "Don't worry, I won't regret this." She said as she pulled him into another deep kiss. Randy picked her up and carried her into his bedroom, never breaking their kiss.

* * *

**A/N: I hope I delivered on this chapter, but sorry if it's kind of boring! Hope you enjoyed it, dates are always so awkward for me to write, i dont know why. Its been a pretty hectic week so i'm not sure when exactly i'll be able to update, but i'm shooting for Friday so keep your fingers crossed. Thanks for all your wonderful reviews!!**


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 13_

"You Little Hussy! You're sleeping with him aren't you?" Chloe laughed as she listened to the voicemail Jessica had left her the night before. She had woken up before Randy and had the urge to use the bathroom. On her way back to bed though she checked her phone and saw Jessica had called so she'd gone back into the bathroom to listen to it and not disturb a sleeping Randy. "I was waiting up for you and you never came back and now you're not answering you phone? Yeah, you're having sex. Well it better be good and worth keeping your best friend waiting up for you all night." Chloe heard Jess yawn. "Alright, I'm going to bed, see you tomorrow and you better be ready to tell me every detail. I'll have popcorn ready when you get home. Love ya!" Chloe smiled as she hung up her phone and left the bathroom.

"There you are," Randy said sleepily as she came into eyesight.

She smiled and crawled into bed after placing her phone on the bedside table. "Sorry I had to go the bathroom and I saw I had a voicemail so I listened to it."

Randy frowned when he saw what she was wearing. "You're wearing my shirt," He said as he tugged the hem.

"Is that ok?" She asked confused.

He smiled devilishly and rolled over so he hovered over her. "I prefer you in nothing," He said in a husky voice. Chloe smiled against Randy's lips as he kissed her. She wound her arms around his neck and moaned into his mouth as he deepened the kiss. Randy groaned and broke the kiss when he heard the doorbell chime.

"Ignore it," Chloe said as she pulled his head back down to hers. Randy complied and trailed his lips from her lips, across her jaw and down to her neck. All the while his hands slowly pulled her shirt up, his knuckles dragging across her skin. Randy pulled away for a second so he could pull the shirt over her head. Once he tossed the shirt on the floor, his lips were back to work on her neck. This time it was Chloe who groaned when the doorbell rang again. Randy lifted his head to look into her eyes.

"I'll be back," He said as he stood up, quickly pulling on his boxers and jeans that were laying on the floor, where they had been discarded the night before. "Don't move a muscle." He said as he looked at her laying on his bed naked. Finally he tore his eyes away and left the room, taking the stairs two at a time, before opening the front door. He was both surprised and annoyed to see Sam standing on the other side of his door. "What do you want?" He asked with a frown.

Sam walked past him to stand in the house. "What, no 'Hi Sam, how are you?'" She asked with her hands on her hips.

Randy narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?" He repeated impatiently.

"Fine, we won't waste anytime then." She said. "So I've been thinking about this a lot lately."

"About what?" He asked confused.

"At first I thought I was just being ridiculous but the more I think about it, the more I think I'm right." She said, ignoring his question.

Randy rolled his eyes. This was just like Sam to talk in code. "Sam, what are you talking about?"

"Who do you take me for? A fool?" She asked.

Randy shook his head and ran a hand across his face in frustration. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He said calmly.

She let out a sarcastic laugh. "You know exactly what I'm talking about." Randy remained silent and looked at his ex, telling her to get on with it. "Fine, you don't want to say it? I will. You like Lindsey's teacher."

Randy looked at her blankly to tell her she was wrong, but inwardly he was wondering how she knew. "Sam, I don't have time for this,"

"Please! I saw the way you looked at her at that party she threw here. You couldn't take your eyes off of her! And then that made me think about how often you offer to pick Lindsey up from school now. Ever since you went to career day, you jump at the chance to go to her school. And now Lindsey tells me you invited Miss Ryan over for Easter?" She questioned.

He shrugged, trying to play it off as nothing. He knew he wouldn't mind telling Sam that he was seeing Chloe, if that's what you would call what they were doing, but he had a feeling Chloe wanted to wait a while. She seemed liked a pretty private person. "We saw her at the grocery store and she was going to be alone so I thought it would be a nice gesture."

Sam shook her head, not believing what he was saying. "I swear to God Randy, if you make a move on her…"She trailed off, not quite knowing what she would do at this moment. "Just leave her alone. She's Lindsey's teacher for God Sakes. Stop being selfish and think of your daughter."

Randy just shook his head. "First of all, technically Chloe isn't Linds' teacher anymore." He said with a cheeky smile while caused Sam to growl in frustration. "And Lindsey would be just fine. But for the record, you are wrong and we are just friends."

Sam just rolled her eyes. "Whatever Randy, do what you want. All I'm saying is that it is completely inappropriate for you to be involved with Lindsey's teacher,"

"Former teacher," Randy corrected smartly. Sam glared at him before leaving the house, slamming the door behind her. Randy chuckled as he walked back up the stairs. When he walked into his room he frowned hen he saw Chloe wearing his shirt again, standing at the foot of the bed. "Aw, you put it back on," He said as he walked over to her, placing his hands on her hips. By the look on Chloe's face when she looked up, he knew she heard his conversation with Sam. "You heard what Sam said." He stated.

She nodded. "I wasn't trying to listen but she was loud." Randy chuckled at that.

"Listen," He said seriously. "You shouldn't listen to Sam, what does she know?"

"It doesn't bother you that she's so against you being with me?" She asked.

"Of course not. All I care about is if you want this?" She nodded in confirmation. "Then I could care less what Sam wants or doesn't want."

"What about Lindsey?" She asked as she gently put her hands on his sides.

Randy let out a breath. "We'll deal with that when the time comes."

She nodded. "If it's okay, I'd like to keep this quiet for a while, at least until we figure out how we feel about each other."

Randy nodded, though he already knew how he felt for her. He really liked her and he only saw those feelings becoming stronger as time went on. But if she needed more time than he would give it to her. "Sounds good," He said before placing a small kiss on her lips. "Come, lets go make some breakfast and then I'll get you home."

* * *

After they made breakfast together, they sat at the kitchen table to eat the food. "So tell me a bit about Jessica and Rachel. How'd you meet them?" Randy asked curiously.

Chloe waited to swallow the food in her mouth before answering. "Well I've known Rachel since I moved here when I was six but we didn't become best friends until I was like ten."

"Why's that?" Randy asked, wanting to know everything about her he could.

She shrugged. "Well I'd seen her around school but we never really talked. But then we finally had a class together and her family moved down the street from me so we spent more time together and realized that we actually liked each other."

Randy laughed. "And Jessica?"

"I met Jessica through Rachel. I had just back here after college and I was looking for a place to live because I didn't want to move back in with my parents. And I guess Rachel met Jessica in college and told me she needed a roommate so after meeting her and realizing that we got along great, I moved in." She explained. Randy nodded. "So how'd you meet John?" She asked because she too wanted to know as much about him as possible.

"Nothing interesting. We met at OVW, a developmental territory for WWE, and became good friends." He said.

"Developmental territory?" She asked confused.

He chuckled. "Yeah, when WWE likes you, they send you to a developmental territory and they train you some more to see if you're ready for the main roster." He explained to her.

"Oh," She said with a smile. "You learn something new everyday." Being a teacher for a living, it was nice for her to be taught something for a change. After they finished breakfast and cleaned, Chloe changed back into the clothes she'd worn the night before and they headed out so Randy could take her home.

"You sleep well?" Randy asked as they pulled away from his house.

"So good," She said with a smile as she looked at him and saw him grin. "I might have to kidnap you so I sleep like that every night."

Randy raised an eyebrow and took his eyes away from the road momentarily to look at her. "That could be arranged." He said seductively while she laughed. It wasn't long before they pulled up in front of her apartment building. "Let me walk you up," Randy said as unbuckled his seat belt. Chloe reached her hand out to touch his hand, causing him to look up at her.

"You don't have to. I'll be just fine." She said.

"I want to," He said.

She smiled at his politeness. "Really, I'll be fine." She said before leaning across to kiss his lips. She intended it to be short but Randy couldn't resist deepening it. When Chloe pulled away she placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks again, I had a great time."

Randy smiled back. "Me too, I'll give you a call later today or tomorrow."

"Sounds great," She said before opening the door and stepping out. Randy watched her walk away. He was captivated by her; the way the dress hugged her curves, the cute braid she put her messy hair in, even her bare feet and the way she swung her arm that held her heels. She made the 'walk of shame', as they call it, look charming. Randy couldn't wipe the smirk on his face off as he drove home. He knew he was getting attached, which he swore he would never do after Sam, but he didn't care. Chloe was the only thing on his mind these days and he had never been so happy.

* * *

**A/N: So sorry, I forgot to update yesterday! Expect another update soon! Thanks again for all your reviews!**


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 14_

A couple days later Chloe was sitting at home by herself, watching TV while filling out job applications for the summer when there was a knock on the door. Rachel was at work and Jessica was out with her boyfriend so she had no idea who it could be. She padded over there in her black velour pants and a matching jacket with a white cami underneath. She smiled when she opened the door and saw Randy on the other side. She wasn't expecting him but she hadn't seen him since their date, though they had spoke on the phone yesterday, and she was glad to see him again. "Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked happily.

Randy grinned at her smiling face as he put his hands on either side of the door jam. "Sorry if it's a bad time but I couldn't stay away." He paused. "I tried but I just couldn't."

"No, it's not a bad time at all, come in," She said and before she could take a step back, he stepped forward, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her into a kiss. She instantly returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his back.

Randy laughed as she groaned when he pulled away too soon. He stepped away so she could shut the door and he walked in the living room, her following close behind. "What have you been doing today?" He asked, taking a seat on the couch.

"Well," She said as she sat down next to him. "I've been catching up on my TV shows and filling out some applications."

"Applications?" He asked as he leaned forward where there was a small stack of papers with a pen on top. "You looking for a job?" He asked when he turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

She nodded. "Yeah, for the summer."

He chuckled a little and put a hand on her knee. "You're getting a job for the summer? Funny, I always thought that the best part of being a teacher is that you get a three month vacation."

She smiled and patted his hand. "Well yes, but you are forgetting the worst part of the job…the low pay." She pulled her applications out of hands and put it back on the table. "As much as I would love to do nothing all summer but enjoy the sun and relax, realistically I can't afford it. I barely survive off of the money I make now, if I took the whole break off, I'd be homeless."

"Oh," Randy said after she finished explaining. He'd never really thought of that. "That sucks," He said simply which made Chloe laugh.

"Yeah, it does," She said as she snuggled closer to him. "So what have you been up to today?"

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and leaned back, propping his feet up on the coffee table. "Well, let's see, I went out to breakfast with Lindsey before I dropped her off at Sam's mom house, then I went to the doctor to get my back checked up so he can clear me for my return soon and now I'm here."

She looked up at him confused. "Your return?"

He nodded. "Yeah to the ring."

Realization hit her. "Oh, for your job." She chuckled a little at her stupidity. "So what'd he say?"

"He said I'm all good to go, just to take it a bit easy my first few days back." He answered.

"You excited to go back?" She asked, very curious about the answer.

"Definitely. I live and breath wrestling." He looked down at her and noticed her melancholy expression. "But that's not to say I want to leave everything I have going for me here."

Chloe smiled up at him. "And what do you have going for you?" She couldn't help but ask, wanting him to say it.

"Well Lindsey of course," He paused dramatically. "And you."

She let out the breath she didn't even know she was holding. "I'll miss you," She said in a quiet voice.

He smiled at her words. "I'll miss you too, but hey, we don't have to worry about that for a couple weeks, let's just enjoy our time together, huh?" He suggested.

She nodded, pulling herself closer to him, her arm wrapped around his waist with her head resting on his chest. "Sounds good,"

* * *

After Randy left a couple hours later, Chloe went into the kitchen to fix herself a small dinner of grilled chicken, broccoli and mashed potatoes. When she was just plating her food, the apartment door opened and in walked Jessica. "Hey, how was the amusement park?" Chloe asked. Jessica had gone to a nearby amusement park for the day to spend time with her boyfriend, Josh, because they hadn't seen much of each other as of late, both being pretty busy. Jessica let out a loud sigh and collapsed into one of the bar stools. Chloe raised in eyebrow in concern. "Not good?" She set the plate she'd made for herself in front of Jess and made herself another plate.

Jessica chewed her lip in thought before picking up her fork and taking a bite of the chicken. Chloe sat on the stool next to her friend and waited for her to answer her question. "I don't know. I mean, I thought it was going to be fun. It was going to just be me and him having fun all day, like it used to be."

"But that didn't happen?" She asked as she stuck a forkful of mashed potatoes in her mouth.

She shook her head and swallowed the food in her mouth before speaking. "Nope. He invited all his buddies and forgot to mention it to me until we showed up and saw that they were all waiting for us at the entrance."

"What?" Chloe asked surprised.

"Yeah and he didn't even look guilty about it. I asked him why he invited them when I thought it was just going to be the two of us and he said that he felt bad not inviting them." She rolled her eyes. "Like if I knew his friends we coming, I would have invited you so I could at least have a friend there instead of being ignored the whole day."

"Josh ignored you?"

"Basically. We didn't even ride one ride together, I was even stuck riding with a stranger once because we had an odd number. He didn't offer to ride with me he just said sorry before riding with one of his buddies." Jessica said, sounding disappointed in her boyfriend.

"Wow," Chloe said. She had seen how excited Jessica was to go to the amusement park with Josh, it was all she'd been talking about for days. Chloe would bet that Jessica wouldn't have minded his buddies tagging along so much if she at least got to ride with Josh. The fun in going to those parks is having someone to enjoy it with. "I'm sorry, you should have called me, I would've shown up for you."

Jess smiled at her friend. "You're a good friend."

Chloe shrugged with a smile. "Thank you," She said as she took another bite of her chicken.

"So enough about me, what'd you do all day?" Jess asked to take her mind off her shitty day.

"I watched TV and filled out some applications, then Randy showed up." She said nonchalantly.

Her friend smiled wide. "What? You invited him over?"

She shook her head. "No, he just showed up."

Jess raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Wow, what a nice surprise. So what'd you two do all day?" She asked with a wink.

Chloe rolled her eyes and threw her napkin at her friend. "Not that!"

Jessica laughed and handed the napkin back. "Hey, I don't know, you did have to the whole apartment to yourself all day."

"We just watched a couple movies and had some popcorn. Very low key," She said, though of course she was leaving out the part of them making out on the couch like a couple teenagers.

"Mmhmm, I'm sure that's all you did," Jessica said sarcastically as she stood up, bringing her plate to the kitchen to put in the dishwasher. Chloe just blushed and finished eating her food.

* * *

**A/N: You guys are amazing! :) No joke haha, loved all your reviews. Expect an update Wednesday or Thursday. Oh, and i'm going to be involving Rachel and Jessica a little more because i've decided i'm going to give them some attention and love too!**


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 15_

Chloe made her way over to her parents house a couple days later for their weekly dinner together. She walked into the house and set her purse down by the door. "Hello? It's me!" She yelled to find where her parents were.

"In here!" They yelled back from the kitchen. Chloe followed the voices and smiled when she saw both her parents hard at work as they made dinner.

"Hey guys," She said, making her presence known.

"Chloe!" Her mom said before pulling her daughter into a hug. "How are you? We haven't seen each other in so long."

Chloe laughed at her mom's exaggeration. "Mom, it's been like a week and half."

"Yes well, I'm used to seeing you every week," Her mom explained as Chloe walked further into the kitchen to hug her dad. "You're looking very cute today. Any occasion?" Chloe was wearing a pair of skinny jeans tucked into knee high cognac colored high heeled boots, a plain white t-shirt and a leather jacket that was a little lighter than the color of her boots.

"No occasion. I was just out with Rachel earlier at the mall and I turned in some applications." She said as she ate a mini carrot that was in the salad her mom had made.

"Really? That's great," Her dad said as he hugged her to his side. Chloe could tell from the look her mom was sending her that she wanted to talk about Chloe's date but she wasn't going to talk about it unless they brought it up. After her parents finished making dinner and Chloe set the table, they all sat down at the kitchen table to eat.

"So Chloe," Her mom began and she knew instantly what he mom was bringing up. "how was your date last week?"

"It was fun, I had a good time."

"What'd you two do?" She asked.

Chloe shrugged as she took a bite of her salad. "We just went to dinner at this cute Italian place and had some dessert." Obviously Chloe was not going to be telling her parents about going back to Randy's house and staying the night, her dad would probably fall out of his chair.

"Sounds lovely," Her mom commented with a smile. She was glad her daughter was out dating again, she hadn't been in so long. "What was his name again?"

"Randy,"

She nodded as if remembering. "That's right! And when are we going to meet him?" She asked with an excited smile.

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Well considering we've only been on one date and haven't talked about another, not in the near future."

"You're not going on another date?" Her mom asked, now concerned. "But I thought you said you had a great time!"

"Mom, calm down. We did have a good time we just haven't talked about going on another one." She said with an eye roll and looked at her dad, begging him to change the subject.

He smiled at her and patted his daughters hand. "Jean, let's just let Chloe take care of her love life huh?"

Her mom huffed as Chloe shot her dad a thankful smile. "Fine," She said throwing her hands up. "I just don't want you to miss out on the joys of being married and having kids."

* * *

Chloe put her car in park after she pulled in to Randy's driveway. She'd spoken to him earlier that day and had agreed to stop by to hang out with him after her dinner with her parents. She walked up to the door tiredly and knocked on the door; that dinner with her parents had worn her out. On more than one occasion her mom drove the topic of conversation back to Randy and their future as a "couple". It was exhausting trying to convince her mom that it was okay to wait to get married and start having kids in order to find the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

The door opened and she instantly smiled when she saw Randy's smiling face. "Hey you," He said as he reached his hand out for her to take. After slipping her hand in his and allowing him to pull her inside, he hugged her to his body and she tilted her head up so he could place a kiss on her lips. She felt this rush soar through her the minute his lips touched hers. It's amazing that something so simple as a kiss could make her feel so many things. She felt aroused, wanted, safe and protected. It just felt so good for her to have someone to kiss. They pulled away from the kiss and smiled at one another.

"Daddy!" Lindsey's voice echoed through the house as she ran down the stairs. "Hi Miss Ryan!" She said, pleasantly surprised to see her teacher in her house.

Chloe smiled. "Hi Lindsey, how are you?" She asked as she took a step away from Randy, not wanting to confuse the girl.

"Good," She answered before turning her attention to Randy. "Daddy, I thought you were going to tuck me in," She said in tired but impatient tone. Chloe couldn't help but think it was adorable.

Randy smiled and nodded. "I'll be right up, give me a minute."

Lindsey gave her dad a warning glare before heading up the stairs. "Ok but I'm counting."

Randy led Chloe into the living room and gestured to the couch. "Make yourself at home, I'll be right back." Chloe accepted the peck on the lips he offered before he headed up the stairs. Chloe let out a sigh as she dropped her purse on the floor next to the couch before collapsing onto the plush piece of furniture. She closed her eyes as she embraced how relaxing it was just to sit there in peace.

Randy walked back into the room and couple minutes later and smiled as he saw her slouched on the couch with her eyes closed. Her eyes opened up when he sat down next to and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him. "You okay?" He asked as he stroked her cheek.

She sighed at the feeling of his skin on hers. "Yeah, let's just say it was a long dinner,"

He chuckled as he pulled her legs up to rest across his lap. "Tell me about it," He offered.

She rolled her eyes as she thought about it. "Just my mom being a mom. She asked about our date and wanted to know about you and when she was going to meet you. She just wouldn't drop it." Her eyes followed his hands as he carefully pulled her boots off her feet.

Randy turned his head to smirk at her as his hands glided across her feet. "Rubber duck socks?"

She blushed and burrowed her face into his shoulder. "There old,"

He laughed. "They're cute." They were both quiet for a few moments as they enjoyed each other's company; Randy running his hand up and down her legs, Chloe's eyes following his every move. "You know," He said in a quiet voice. "I could always meet you mom if you want,"

Chloe pulled away from him a little so she could look him in the eye. "What?"

He shrugged as all his insecurities surfaced. "Well I mean if you want, I wouldn't mind."

"But, we've only been on one date." She said, slightly worried. That was a big step meeting the parents.

He smiled at her and cupped her face with his palm. "The first of many,"

"How can you be so sure?" She asked curiously.

"Because I really like you, more than I've liked anyone in a long time." He said honestly as his eyes searched hers. She looked away, a little overwhelmed with his words. "Listen Chlo, I just want you to know where I stand. I know even going on a date was a big step for you so I'll go as slow as you want. But just know that when you're ready to take the next step, so am I." After understanding what he was saying she looked up at him and smiled.

"Thanks," She said before kissing him lightly on the lips. She wanted to date Randy exclusively but there was a lot to think about and she wanted to figure things out before she committed to anything.

* * *

**A/N: Damn Chloe for always overthinking things! haha Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Thanks for all your wonderful reviews!**


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 16_

Randy woke up early the next morning to make breakfast for himself and Lindsey before he had to take her to Sam's for the rest of the week. Just as he was plating the last pancake, Lindsey walked in with yawn as she sat at the kitchen table. "Good morning daddy," She said sleepily.

"Morning baby," He said as he sat the plate of pancakes on the table along with a small plate of bacon. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before putting a hardboiled egg on her plate.

"Do I have to go to mommy's?" She asked as she stabbed two pancakes with her fork and brought them to her plate.

Randy looked at his daughter in surprise as he sat down across from her. "You don't want to go?" She usually looked forward to going to Sam's, and Sam had once told him that Linds looked forward to going to his place. She had never seemed to have a problem going from one parent to the next.

She shrugged as she poured maple syrup over her breakfast. "I want to see mommy but I want to stay here with you too."

Randy couldn't help but smile at her adorableness. He reached over and took the bottle of syrup from her, stopping her from pouring the whole bottle on her plate. "Baby, I'll see you again in a couple days."

She pouted. "Can't I just stay here?"

Randy frowned. He would love nothing more than to have his daughter with him every single day, but that wasn't what he and Sam had agreed upon. "I'm sorry Linds," He said as he shook his head. "Don't you miss mommy?" The girl nodded her head. "I think mommy misses you too and you'd make her very happy if you went to her house today."

She thought about for a second before nodding, smiling slightly. "Ok, but I'm going to miss you,"

Randy smiled back. "I'll miss you too baby," They were silent for a couple minutes as they ate their breakfast.

"Daddy, can I ask you a question?" She asked thoughtfully.

"You sure can," He said.

She looked at him and tilted her head to the side. "Why was Miss Ryan here last night?"

Randy sighed, he was expecting this question. He was surprised she didn't ask when he'd tucked her in last night. "Well, Chloe and I have become good friends and we just wanted to hang out."

She nodded, accepting the answer. "Can I play with you next time?" As surprised as she was to see her former teacher in her house last night, she really liked Miss Ryan.

Randy chuckled. "Absolutely," He watched his daughter as she happily ate her food. "Linds, what do you think of Chloe?" He was actually very curious of how Lindsey would react to him dating her former teacher.

She smiled. "I like her. She's funny and pretty."

"Yeah she is," He said, amused with his daughter.

"Do you like her daddy?" She asked curiously.

"I do," He admitted.

She looked up at her dad and smiled devilishly. "Do you like her, like her?"

Randy tried to scowl though a smile spread across his face. He stood up and walked over to her seat, which she was now standing on. "You, little missy, are gonna get it," He put his hands under her armpits and swept her up in the air. He couldn't help but get a rush of pride when he heard her giggle. He spun her around a couple of times before cradling her in his arms, bridal style as he began to tickle her.

"Daddy! Daddy, stop! Daddy!" Lindsey yelled through her laughter.

Randy showed mercy and tickled her a little more before setting her on her feet. "Alright, go upstairs and get your things together for moms," The little girl nodded breathlessly before running out of the room and upstairs to her bedroom to get ready.

* * *

"Come on sleepy head," Rachel yelled as she jumped up and down on Chloe's bed. "Time to get up!"

Chloe groaned as she cracked open her eyes. "You are a terrible person." She said sleepily and pulled her covers over her head.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no!" Rachel said before she bent over and yanked the blanket off of Chloe and the bed. "It's past noon, you need to get up, get dressed, then you and I are going out to lunch."

Chloe groaned again. "Leave me alone, you freak."

Rachel laughed and gave her friend a little push with her food. "I'm paying." She said in a sing-song voice.

Chloe stayed where she was for a few moments before she stood up. "Alright, but only because your paying."

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, the friends were seated at a local diner, enjoying a couple of sandwiches. "So how's work?" Chloe asked her friend.

Rachel frowned a littler. "Well, that was one thing I wanted to talk to you about." She paused to collect her thoughts. "I think I'm going to be out of a job soon."

"What?" Chloe asked surprised. "Why? I thought you were about to be made sports editor?" Rachel was one of the best journalists at the local newspaper.

She made a face. "That's what I thought, but apparently that rat Todd," She said, referring to one of her coworkers, whom she hated. "has been sucking up to the boards ass and he got it."

"That sucks," Chloe said, knowing how much her friend was looking forward to being editor. "But, if you're basically the one in line after him for editor, why are they firing you?"

"They're not. I'm thinking of quitting." Rachel said.

"What? Why?"

She shrugged. "The whole reason I was with the newspaper in the first place was because they said if I worked as a writer for two years, I would be editor. Now I'm not and who knows how long I have to wait for another chance." She explained.

"I can understand that." Chloe said supportively. "But are you sure you want to quit? What if you can't find another job?"

Rachel smiled wide. "Well, that's another thing I wanted to talk to you about."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Well, I've been job hunting online and I saw a job opening that you could maybe help me out with. Or more like your boyfriend can help me,"

"I don't have a boyfriend." She corrected.

She rolled her eyes. "Sorry, your friend with benefits who you are practically in love with."

"What? I am not!" She defended herself.

"Okay, okay, we're getting off subject. There is a job opening at the WWE for a creative writing position. And as you know, that is where Randy works, so I was hoping you could…" She trailed off, hoping Chloe saw where she was going.

"I could what?"

"Maybe ask him to put in a good word for me?"

Chloe sighed. "Rachel, I don't know. We've only been seeing each other for less than a week. I don't want him to think I'm using him. Plus, he's never read any of your work." Chloe wanted to help her friend out, she just would feel weird asking that of Randy.

Rachel smiled with and grabbed her purse off the floor. She reached in and pulled out a little portfolio. "I had a feeling you would say that." She handed over the portfolio to Chloe.

She couldn't help but smile a little. "I see, it's you who's using me."

Rachel chuckled. "But seriously, can you please just ask him? If he says no, then no big deal."

Chloe looked at the small book in her hands and then to her friend's pouting face. "Find," She said giving in. "But if he never speaks to me again, I'm blaming you."

* * *

**A/N: Love all your wonderful reviews! Keep them coming!**


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 17_

Chloe walked up the walk that led to Randy's door and knocked gently. She was very nervous; she didn't want Randy to think she was using him for her friend's success.

"Hey you," Randy greeted happily when he opened the door.

"Hey," She said as she walked in the house, accepting the hug and kiss he offered her.

"What have you been up to today?" He asked as he led her into the living room.

She shrugged as she sat next to him on the couch. "Had lunch with Rachel."

"Oh yeah? How is she?" He asked.

Chloe took a deep breath, this was her chance. "She's alright but she's going to quit her job soon."

"Really?" He asked, surprised. He'd only met Chloe's friend once, but she didn't seem like the quitting type.

She nodded. "Yeah. I guess they hired her, telling her she would be next in line for editor, she just had to basically wait it out. But now, I guess they gave it to another guy."

"Wow, that's pretty shitty," Randy said sympathetically.

Chloe laughed a little. "Yeah and she asked me to do something I'm not really comfortable doing."

That got Randy's attention immediately. "What'd she ask?"

Chloe looked at Randy for a minute before reaching into her purse and pulling out Rachel's portfolio. "She was looking online for some jobs and she found on for a creative writing position with WWE. She wanted me to ask you to put in a good word for her." She handed over Rachel's portfolio. "This is some of her work." She saw Randy look down at the book and she panicked. "I know this looks kind of bad but you should know I'm not using you. If you don't want to, it's ok, it's just Rachel asked me and she my best friend and I couldn't sat no and she needs a job and she wasn't appreciated at her other one and…"

Randy put a finger to her lips to silence her ramblings. He smiled his easy-going smile. "For the record, I don't think you're using me, you're just being a good friend."

She let out a sigh of relief. "You really think so?" She asked to make sure he was okay with what she was asking him to do.

He nodded and pulled her closer to him. "So, is she good?" He asked as he opened the book up.

"She is amazing."

He closed the book and handed it back to her. "Then I don't need to read this. I'll put in a good word for her."

Her face lit up. "Really?" She asked, not really believing that he is so great. He nodded. "Oh! You're the best!" She said before wrapping her arms around his neck before she pulled him into a kiss.

When they pulled away, he trailed his hands up and down her arms. "Actually, it's funny you bring this up because I've been doing some job searching of my own."

She wrinkled her brow. "What? But you love your job."

He chuckled. "Not for me, for you."

"Oh," She said, surprised.

"It's not bad, I don't think. I don't want you to think I'm stepping on your toes or anything. I just heard about it and thought it would be good for you." He explained.

She nodded, keeping an open mind. "Okay, what is it?"

"It's an internship for WWE's creative." He said with a smile.

"Really?" He nodded. "That sounds cool. But I have to be back for school in the fall."

He nodded. "I know and it's a summer internship. Well, more of a two-month internship. Beginning of July to end of August."

She nodded. "That's doable. It sounds good. Do you know anything about it?"

"Well I know it's paid, a traveling job and it's yours if you want it."

"What?" She asked confused.

"I've already met with the boss and he says it's yours if you want it."

"Randy, you shouldn't have don't that."

"Why not? You need a job, I have to go back on the road soon. And now your friend might get a job with the company too." Randy tried to convince her.

She bit her lip. "I don't know."

"Hey," He said, using his finger under her chin to make her look at him. "What did I tell you the first night we slept together?" He asked.

"You said a lot." She joked.

"I said, listen to your heart, not your head. What is your heart telling you?"

She let out a sigh before answering. "To take the job."

He smiled. "Then what's the problem? I don't want to hear anymore of those 'I don't knows', you hear me?" He asked. She nodded before pressing her lips to his excitedly.

* * *

"Alright, what do you need to talk to us about?" Rachel asked Chloe as she, Chloe and Jessica sat down at Jess and Chloe's small dining table. After her discussion with Randy earlier that day, she'd sent off a quick text to both Jess and Rach, telling them that they were having dinner together tonight at her place because she had some things she needed to tell them.

"Well, it involves, me, Randy and a job. Oh and you a little too." She said to Rachel as she passed the bowl of salad to Jess after she put some on her plate.

"Oh does it now?" Jess asked with a smirk.

Chloe nodded. "I went over there earlier to talk to him about putting a good word in for Rach,"

"And?" Rachel couldn't help but ask.

She smiled. "He was so sweet. I handed him the book and he asked me if you were any good. I told him you were amazing and then he said that he didn't need to read any of your stuff then and he would definitely put in a word for you." She explained.

Rachel smiled wide. "Yay!"

"Aw, that's sweet of him," Jess added.

"Anyways," Chloe said, getting back on track. "after we talked about that, he said that he had found a job that I might me interested in. It's for a paid internship with the WWE creative team for July and August." She said enthusiastically, already getting excited about her new job.

"What? That's great!" Jess exclaimed.

"I know! I'm so excited. And I guess he already talked to the boss about it cause he said the internship is mine if I want it,"

"That means that if I get the job that we are basically going to be working together!" Rachel said, now excited. "And it's about time you put that minor in journalism to some use. This is going to be a great learning experience for you." She said matter-of-factly.

Jess mock pouted. "Aw no fair, you guys are gonna be traveling all the time without me."

Chloe laughed. "Well it's not all the time. Randy said on a usual week they work Saturday through Tuesday. So we'd be home Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. But he also said that sometimes they travel for up to two weeks at a time." Jess frowned again. "Oh don't worry. You won't even miss us. You still have Josh."

Jess rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, cause we are just perfect nowadays." She saw her friends starting to look guilty so she cracked a smile. "You guys, I'm just kidding. You're gonna have a great time on the road and who knows, maybe I can take a week off to spend with you guys."

"That'd be great!" Rachel and Chloe both said.

"So what'd your parents say?" Rachel asked, knowing how close she was with both of her parents, she couldn't imagine them taking this news well.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I haven't told them yet. I figure I better do that in person."

Her friends chuckled a little at her dreaded tone. "Good call." They said before erupting into conversation about how their days were.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this chapter isn't so exciting! It will pick up soon, i promise! Thanks again for all your amazing reviews, i love them!**


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 18_

"Hey mom, dad, it's me!" Chloe yelled as she walked into her parents home a few days later. She'd been mentally prepping herself for this conversation. She knew her dad would probably be concerned but would ultimately trust her to make her own decisions. But her mom…that was another story. She was going to especially be concerned that she hadn't met Randy yet and that maybe he didn't have the best of intentions. Chloe knew she was just going to have to come up with a way to get her mom to understand that this would be a good opportunity for her. She slipped her purse off her shoulder, setting it down on the floor next to the door. She received no answer. "Mom? Dad? Anyone home?" She asked as she walked further into the house. She looked in the dining room and the living room before going into the kitchen. She looked out the window that was in the kitchen to the backyard and smiled when she finally found her parents. They were sitting at their outdoor dining set playing cards as they took in the sun. She walked outside to greet them. "Hello?" She sung as she walked toward them. Both her parents looked around in surprise, not expecting any visitors.

"Chloe! What are you doing here? Dinner is Sunday right?" Her mom asked as she stood up and embraced her daughter.

Chloe laughed. "Nope, you're right, dinner is Sunday. I just thought I'd stop by."

"Well this is a nice surprise." Her dad said happily as he too gave his daughter a hug. "Take a seat, we were just playing gin rummy, want us to deal you in?" He asked as everyone sat down.

"No, I'm fine," She took a breath before exhaling. "I actually came over here because there's something I need to tell you."

"You're pregnant!" Her mom exclaimed. Chloe's eyes widened at the assumption. The scary thing was, she couldn't tell if her mom was excited or horrified.

"No! No, mom, I am definitely not pregnant!" She quickly said to set the record straight. Her dad chuckled at his wife. "I came to tell you that I've got a job."

"Already? That was so fast, congratulations!" Her dad said, patting her hand lovingly.

"Yes dear, that is great news! Where at?" Her mom asked.

Chloe took a deep breath. "Well, it is with the WWE." She paused and cringed at her parents blank expressions. "Have you heard of it? World Wrestling Entertainment?"

Her dad nodded. "Yes, I've heard of it. I'm a little confused how you came across this job. What will you be doing anyway?" He asked, slightly scared his daughter would be wrestling.

"Well, it's a paid internship with the creative department," She said then continued nervously when she received no response. "I'd be writing the scripts of what the wrestlers say and set up storylines. So I'd finally put that journalism minor to some use."

Her mother was still silent so her father spoke up. "And…how'd you find this…internship."

"Randy…he works there and-" She began but was interrupted.

"Randy, the man you're dating?" Her mother finally spoke. "He works there? As…?"

"As a wrestler." She said then clenched her teeth together nervously. "I didn't mention that?"

"No, you definitely left that part out." Her father said sternly, obviously not pleased his daughter was dating a professional wrestler.

"Sorry. But yeah, he works there and heard about the internship and thought it would be perfect for me, so he pulled some strings and it's mine."

"I don't even know where to start," Her mother said. "You're dating a professional athlete? They do not have the best reputations Chloe."

She shrugged. "It's not like I was looking to start a relationship with him. Our paths just crossed."

"But this…internship…are you sure this is what you want to do?" Her dad asked.

"Yeah, it'd be a good learning experience."

"But what about teaching? I thought that was your passion!" Her mom exclaimed, obviously not pleased with this news. "You're going to give up your passion for some…man?"

Chloe shook her head. "I'm not giving up teaching. This internship is just for a couple of months over the summer, just in time for the new school year." She said and then remembered her mom's last comment. "And I'm not taking this because of Randy. I am very glad he told me about this but I'm doing this because like I said, it's a good experience. Plus it'd be nice to see the country over the summer and make a living at the same time."

Her dad shook his head, unsure. "Chloe…I just don't know if this is best for you. I mean, what does this entail?"

Ah, the hard part. The traveling. "Well, it would involve me to travel at least four days a week with the roster. But, Randy said sometimes it can be up to a couple weeks at a time." She explained.

"A couple weeks?" Her mom asked. "But…our dinners…"

She smiled sadly. "I know mom but he said that's only sometimes. I'll be here every week for dinner still, except a week here and there."

She watched as her parents look at one another across the table as the tried to gage each others reactions on the situation. Her dad was the first to speak. "While I am worried that this may not be the best path for you…it is your life and I trust your judgment. I do think this will be a very good opportunity for you that I don't think you can pass up."

"Joe!" Her mom said surprised to her father. "You are okay with her traveling with a bunch of professional athletes every week? Who knows what could happen to her!"

"Mom, it's not like I'll be alone. Randy is there and Rachel might be getting a job with creative." She added. Her mom loved Rachel, so she was hoping that bringing her up would help her mom accept what she was doing.

It worked. Her mom definitely wavered. "Rachel will be there?"

She nodded. "If she get's the job."

Her mom went silent again and looked at her husband for help. "Jean, she is a grown woman. Whether we like it or not, this is what she has chosen for herself. Nothing we say can change her mind."

Her mom nodded. "Okay. I am not happy with it but your father is right, you are making your own decisions and I need to trust you." She turned to her daughter and smiled. "But that doesn't mean I won't miss you."

She laughed. "Mom, I'll miss you too, of course!"

* * *

Randy knocked on Sam's front door, waiting for her to open it so he could pick up Lindsey and head back to his house. Ever since the last time he'd seen Sam, he's been dreading every time he'll have to see his ex. He knew it was only a matter of time before she brought the subject of Chloe back up again.

"Hey dad!" Lindsey yelled as she threw open the door. Randy crouched down with a smile as he hugged his little girl.

"Hey baby, miss me?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes!" She said dramatically. He laughed as he stood back up and grabbed her hand, allowing her to drag him into the kitchen. "Mommy just made me lunch." She said as she sat down at the table, dishing off the already half eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Randy looked over the counter and saw Sam wiping down some dishes. "Hello," He said politely.

Sam looked at him and nodded. "Linds, why don't you head on upstairs and finishing packing your things. I need to speak to daddy."

Lindsey nodded and quickly stuffed the rest of her sandwich in her mouth before getting up and running off. Randy walked over the counter and leaned his elbows on it. "What's up?" He asked, wondering what she wanted to talk to him about.

She glared at him. "I told you to stay away from Lindsey's teacher." She said angrily. Randy didn't say anything, just rolled his eyes, which pissed her off even more. "I told you to stay away from her, and what do you do? You hang out with her."

"What, are you spying on me?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest, now angry himself.

She pursed her lips. "No, but Lindsey let me know that she came over to your place the other night while our daughter was there." She narrowed her eyes at her former boyfriend.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh so you're having our daughter do your spying for you?"

She closed her eyes to try to hold back her anger. "You know what Randy?" She asked, opening her eyes and looking at him. "I'm telling you right now, if you don't quit doing whatever you're doing with her, I am going to do something about it."

Randy rolled his eyes and smiled at her. "What are you going to do Sam?"

She raised a brow. "Don't tempt me Randy." She warned.

"Listen Sam, I'm not going to quit seeing Chloe. Do whatever you feel you need to do." He said before walking out of the kitchen. "Lindsey!" He yelled up the stairs. "Daddy's gotta get going, let's go sweetheart!" He waited by the front door for his daughter to come down. When she did, she quickly said bye to her mom before leading her dad out to his car.

* * *

Chloe walked into her apartment with a feeling of relief. She was glad she'd finally told her parents about her internship. It took a load off her shoulders and all she wanted to do now was lie in bed, watching TV while she relaxed. She walked further into the living room and stopped in her tracks when she saw Josh sitting on the couch watching TV. "Hey Josh, you waiting for Jessica?" She asked, getting his attention.

Her turned to look at her and smiled. "Yeah, you know how she is," He chuckled with a shrug. Chloe nodded. It was weird because the Josh Chloe saw was a sweet, funny, ambitious guy. But hearing the things Jess went through with him, it seemed he was quite the opposite.

"Yes I do," She paused as she sat down on the floor with her the suitcase that she'd borrowed form her parents for her traveling. "So how's the job search going?" She asked, though from what Jess told her, Josh barely even bothered searching. He had been fired from his job a little over six months ago and hadn't found anything.

He shrugged. "It's tough out there. Not much hiring going on. But I'm trying."

She smiled. "Yeah, that's good. You just gotta keep at it."

He nodded. "Yeah but I hear that you got a job for the summer? With the WWE?" He asked, sounding surprised. It was obvious that Jess hadn't told Josh about Randy, which she wasn't exactly mad about. It was a relief not having to go into detail about her relationship with Randy. Lately, it felt like all she was doing was analyzing their relationship.

"Yeah, I'm excited." She said as she unzipped the zippers, checking to see if there was anything her parents had accidently left in the pockets.

"That's a pretty sweet job. If there are any openings, let me know." He said with a laugh and she laughed back to be polite but she knew that if there were any job openings, Josh wouldn't be right for any of them.

"I will," She said before excusing herself and grabbing the luggage to pull it behind her as she entered her room. She walked back out a couple minutes later and smiled when she saw her friend standing outside her bedroom door that was next the couch. She was wearing a beautiful black dress and looked at Josh, almost willing him to turn around and tell her how beautiful she looked. But his eyes were firmly locked on the TV. "Hey Jess, you look great!" Chloe said, trying to give Josh a hint.

Jess smiled at her friend as Josh turned to see his girlfriend. "Ready?" He asked simply. Jessica's smile faultered a bit but she tried to hide it as she nodded.

"Bye Chlo, I'll see you later." Jess said as she passed by. Chloe watched her friend leave with a frown. Jess definitely deserved better than that, that was for sure. It was only a matter time before she came to her senses.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter's a little longer than most so I hope you all enjoy it! Thanks again for all your fantastic reviews! :)**


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 19_

A couple days later, Chloe quietly shut her car door as she walked up the driveway to Randy's door Sunday morning. She opened the door using the hide-a-key Randy had told her about. She tip toed inside, making sure to softly close the door and lock it again. She walked into the kitchen, taking in the silence of the home. It was father's day so Chloe thought she'd head over here early and make Randy breakfast. After she got herself organized with the things she brought, she set the gift she'd got her…boyfriend on the table. Yes, that's right. She'd finally become comfortable with the term and they both had agreed to tell their friends about each other. Chloe slipped off her shoes so she wouldn't make much noise and she slowly made her way upstairs. She opened Lindsey's bedroom door quietly before slipping inside. She and the girl had been spending more time together. Lindsey was usually over at Randy's when Chloe was and vice versa. Lindsey really seemed to be taking a liking to her former teacher and Chloe couldn't be more happy. She was worried about how Lindsey would react when she found out about her dating her dad, but Chloe was slowly becoming accustomed to the idea and thought that the little girl would be okay with it. At least she hoped. Randy hadn't decided when he wanted to tell his daughter and Chloe supported his decision to wait.

She walked up the small bed where the little girl was sleeping and she gently shook the girl to wake her up. Slowly her eyes fluttered opened and she rubbed her eyes to see who was waking her up. "Chloe?" She asked using the name Chloe had instructed her to start using because they were friends now.

Chloe smiled and brushed the young girls hair off her face. "Hi sweetheart,"

"What are you doing here?" She asked sleepily as she propped herself up on her elbows.

"Well, I came over here early to make your daddy breakfast for father's day and I thought you might like to help," She suggested, knowing the girl would want to help, she really seemed to love cooking.

Lindsey's face lit up and she nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yeah!"

Chloe laughed and put a finger to her lips. "Alright but it's a surprise so we have to be quiet and let your dad sleep, ok?" The girl nodded before getting up and leading her former teacher out of her room. Once downstairs and in the kitchen, the girls washed up and Chloe set up a little stool so Lindsey could reach the counter. "Here you go young lady," She said, handing the girl an apron, allowing her to put it on over her head before tying it up in the back as they got to work.

* * *

Randy yawned wide as he woke up. He climbed out of bed and made his way to the bathroom to get a quick shower in. After he was done, he changed into a pair of black basketball shorts and walked out into the hallway. He tiptoed down the hall, not wanting to wake Lindsey, before he stopped outside her bedroom door. He quietly opened the door and poked his head in as he always did, to make sure she was sleeping peacefully. When he saw his daughter wasn't in bed, he opened the door wider to see if she was playing with her toys or something but she wasn't. He stood up a bit straighter as he heard something fall downstairs. It sounded like it was coming from the kitchen. "Linds? Baby? Where are you?" He yelled out as he quickly went downstairs. He was just about to turn the corner into the kitchen when Lindsey ran into the hall.

"Daddy!" She said happily as she walked forward to hug him. "Happy father's day!" She said and pulled his neck down so she could give him a kiss.

He smiled. "Aw thanks baby. What are you doing down here?" He asked after he stood up straight.

She smiled wide, almost like she had a secret. "We made you breakfast!"

Randy looked at his daughter confused, not sure who the 'we' could be. "We?" He asked.

She nodded and pulled him into the kitchen by his hand. "Chloe wanted to surprise you," She explained as she pointed to the woman who was standing in the kitchen, loading a plate with waffles.

Chloe looked up and beamed at Randy. "Good morning, happy father's day!" She greeted. Randy looked at his beautiful girlfriend and smiled when Lindsey went back over to her to help. Chloe looked so comfortable cooking in his kitchen and it looked like the most natural thing in the world for her and Linds to be bonding like that

"Smells great girls." He complimented as he walked over to where they were. He dropped a kiss on his daughters head before turning to Chloe. She looked up at him happily.

"You like?" She asked.

"I do," He admitted before dropping a kiss on her lips. He knew he shouldn't be kissing her in front of Lindsey, at least not until he explained things to her, but he done it a couple of times and she didn't seem to notice. "Thank you," He mumbled against her lips before pulling away. "Thank you," He said louder, this time so Lindsey could hear her too.

"Are you happy dad?" Linds asked as she looked up at him.

He picked her up, situating her on his hip. "You bet I am. Not only do I have a delicious breakfast to enjoy, I have my two favorite girls to enjoy it with." After the trio finished eating breakfast, Chloe suggested that he open his gifts. After she got up to grab the gift she'd gotten Randy, she walked back to the couch, where they were lounging and gave it to him. "Where's Linds?" She asked, noticing the young girls absence.

"She went to get my gift," He explained before pulling her down to sit next to him. "You didn't have to get me anything."

She smiled as she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to. Besides, it's not much so don't get too excited." He laughed before Lindsey came running back into the room.

"Me first!" The girl exclaimed as she handed her poorly wrapped gift to her dad.

"Alright," He said as he examined the gift. It was oddly shaped and wrapped in pink paper. "What is it?" He asked, knowing how to get to his daughter.

"Open it!" She whined, hating it when her dad played this game with her.

He faked a frown. "But I want you to tell me,"

She put her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. "Just open it," She said as she pushed his cheeks so he made a funny face.

"Fine," He said, his voice muffled and funny sounding with the way his daughter was holding his cheeks. She let go of his face with a giggle and Randy ripped the paper off of the gift. "Linds," He said as he looked down at the coffee mug she had obviously decorated at one of those paint your own ceramic studios. The mug was sky blue with two hand drawn cartoons, who he assumed were supposed to be himself and Lindsey, holding hands. Above them said 'world's best dad'. "This is exactly what I wanted, thank you baby," He said as he leaned down to kiss his daughter. "How did you do this?" He asked as Chloe leaned over his shoulder to examine the adorable mug with him.

"Grammy O took me last week," She said, talking about Randy's mother. His parents were referred to as Grammy and Grampy O, while Sam's parents were just grandma and grandpa. "I wanted to paint this," She said, grabbing the mug. "because I thought you could take this with you to work so you won't forget me."

Randy frowned as he remembered he would be heading back on the road soon, and it was clear Lindsey too knew. "Aw baby, I love this and definitely will take it on the road, but I don't need it to remember you. You are always on my mind."

She smiled wide and hugged her dad. "Good."

Chloe smiled as she watched their exchange. She felt really lucky to be a part of their special moment and share it with them. "Ok, my turn." She interrupted, handing him her square gift wrapped in black paper.

Randy grabbed the gift and ran his hand over it, trying to figure out what it was.

Chloe laughed as she realized he was trying to guess; she now understood Lindsey's frustration. "Just open it!" She said playfully poking his side.

He looked at her and laughed. "Ok, ok." He said before tearing off the paper. He stopped before the paper was even all the way off. It was a five by seven black picture frame with a black and white picture, that looked pretty professional, of Lindsey sitting inside. In the picture Lindsey was laughing at the camera while holding a piece of paper that said 'I love you daddy'. He ran his hand over the glass before looking up at Chloe. "But, how'd you…?" He asked before looking back at the picture. This was a picture he had definitely never seen before.

She smiled as Lindsey leaned over to look at the picture and she realized her gift touched him. "Well, if you remember, last time I was over, you ran out to get something you needed for dinner and asked me to watch Lindsey so I thought I'd take some pictures. I hope you like it."

He looked up at her and smirked. "I seriously love it, thank you." He leaned over and pressed a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

"I got a small frame so you could bring this with you while you travel but if you want, I can make it bigger so you can have one here too." She added.

He nodded. "I'd like that," She smiled and nodded, assuring him she would. "Well, ladies, thank you for your gifts. I can't wait to get on the road and show my beautiful daughter off." He said, poking her side, causing her to burst out in giggles.

"So what would you like to do today?" Chloe asked, standing up to dispose of the ripped up wrapping paper.

Randy exhaled. "Anything that involves you two," He admitted, closing his eyes.

* * *

**A/N: You asked for more Lindsey, ask and you shall receive. Just a little filler chapter. Next chapter they go on the road! Thanks for all your reviews, I love them.**


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 20_

**First Week of July**

"Are you sure Rachel doesn't mind giving us a ride to the airport?" Randy asked Chloe over the phone. Today was the day he and Chloe were leaving to begin traveling with WWE. He had finally been given the ok to get back to work and her internship started on Monday. Unfortunately, despite Randy's good word for Rachel, she had yet to receive the creative writing job. She had already had two in person interviews and a phone interview and from what he had heard, it was between her and someone else. He had his fingers crossed for Rachel to get the job but he had done all he could and all they could do was wait to see if she got it. Though, it seemed like their waiting was just about over because Randy had heard through the grapevine that they were making the final decision this week. "Because if so, I can drive and just leave my car at the airport."

"Randy, for the millionth time, no," Chloe answered his question. "She doesn't mind at all."

"Alright, only if you're sure." He made sure.

She let out a laugh. "Rachel is perfectly capable of giving us a lift to the airport. Now I want you to finish packing then sit down and relax." She ordered. "Rachel is on her way over and we'll head over to your place from here. Be ready." She said before hanging up. "Man, who knew he was such a worried traveler." She mumbled to herself as she finished packing all her toiletries.

* * *

"You sure you packed everything you're gonna need?" Randy asked Chloe as he loaded his bag into the trunk of Rachel's car.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes Randy, I am sure."

"Hey, I'm just checking." He defended as he closed the trunk and pulled her close to him. "I don't want you to forget anything." He said softly as he pressed a kiss to her lips.

She smiled against his lips. "You need to just calm down you worry wart."

Rachel honked the horn and stuck her head out the window. "Alright you two, let's get going or you're going to miss your flight." Chloe laughed and the pair separated before taking their seats in the car.

After they arrived at the aiport, Randy loaded their bags out of the trunk while Rachel and Chloe said goodbye. "I don't want to leave." Chloe pouted at her friend.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, don't be like Jess." She said, referring to their friend who had practically cried while saying bye to Chloe earlier. "You'll be back on Wednesday."

"I know but it will be weird being there alone." Chloe said.

"Hey." Randy said, insulted. "What am I? Chopped liver?"

Chloe laughed at him. "You know what I mean. I wish you could be there."

Rachel smiled as she hugged her friend. "Hey, with any luck, I'll be on the road with you before you know it."

"I hope so!" Chloe said, desperately wanting her friend to get the job. "Let me know when you get the call."

"I definitely will." Rachel said as she released her friend and turned to the man who just closed her trunk. "Randy, my man, take care of my girl here." She said as she hugged him.

He laughed as he pulled away. "I'll try my best."

"Alright you tow," She said when one of the police blew his whistled at her, telling her to leave. "I gotta get going. See you Wednesday." She said before getting in her car. Chloe waved to her friend as she drove away before following Randy into the airport.

* * *

After their plane landed, Randy rented a car and they headed to their hotel. Randy checked in and pulled Chloe away from the desk by her elbow when she went to check in herself. She looked up at him confused. "Come on, I called this morning and had them connect your room to mine." He said as he handed her a key card.

"Randy," She scolded as she allowed him to lead her to elevator. "I can get my own hotel room."

He smiled down sweetly at her as he pulled her close. "I know you can but I want you close." He put his hand on the small of her back and lead her into the elevator once it arrived at the lobby. Chloe rested one of her hands on his chest once the door closed and she pushed herself up give him a small kiss. Randy, of course, couldn't resist deepening the kiss. He had originally just planned on telling her to crash in his room but he didn't want to push her into anything so he'd decided to ask for the connecting room. He hoped though that soon she would feel comfortable sharing a room with him.

The elevator doors dinged open, though the couple didn't separate, much less notice someone walking inside. "Randy's got a girlfriend?" A voice asked playfully. The pair immediately broke away from their embrace and looked at whoever had just entered the elevator.

"Hey Adam," Randy smiled at the man. "Yeah, this is my girlfriend Chloe. Chloe this is one of my good friends, Adam Copeland."

Chloe smiled as she reached out a hand to the young man. "Nice to meet you,"

Adam smiled back as he shook the woman's hand. "You too. You better take care of this one, though I can only imagine he's a handful." He joked, causing Chloe to laugh as she looked over at Randy.

Randy glared jokingly at his friend. "Ha ha,"

"Glad you're back man, it hasn't been the same without you." Adam commented truthfully.

Randy grinned. "You say that now but we'll see how it is when I'm beating your ass."

Adam just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah old man." He turned his attention to Chloe. "So are you just here to see his return?"

She smiled excitedly. "Actually I've got an internship with creative."

Adam raised a brow, obviously impressed. "Really?" When she nodded in confirmation, he gave Randy a thumbs up. "Got a winner man,"

Randy smiled and wrapped his arm around Chloe's shoulders. "I know. So where you headed?" He asked as he noticed they were almost to his floor.

Adam shrugged as the doors popped open. "Gonna go get John. We've got a signing in an hour or so. See you later man, and it was nice to meet you Chloe." He said as he stepped out of the elevator.

"You too," She said as she waved bye. Once the doors closed she looked up at her boyfriend. "He's nice." Randy nodded as they arrived at their floor, the one right above where Adam got off. They made their way down the hall as they searched for their rooms.

"So when do we head to the arena?" Chloe asked as she wheeled her luggage in the room.

"A couple hours," Randy answered. He was set to wrestle a match at the house show tonight just to make sure he would be ready for a match on Monday. She walked through the connecting doors and set her things in there before walking back to Randy's room. She watched as he set his things down and ran a hand over his face.

"So we've got some time?" She said seductively as she sat on the bed. Randy turned around and she smiled at him before unzipping her jacket and taking it off. Randy's eyes darkened lustfully as he slowly made his way over to her as he took his shirt off.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks again for all your reviews! It's funny how you guys predict some of the things I have planned! :)**


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 21_

"You sure you want to hang out here for the night?" Randy asked as he and Chloe walked down the hall of the arena towards his locker room. "It's probably going to be boring for you. I can call a cab to take you back to the hotel, if you want."

Chloe smiled at him and grabbed his hand to hold in hers. "No, I want to be here." She saw him about to say something and smiled. "I know, you already told me the deal with the house shows. I know I can't watch you wrestle but I will be working around here now. I might as well get familiar backstage and maybe if you have some time, you can introduce me to some of the superstars."

Randy nodded. "Of course I will." He said once they approached the locker room. He knocked a couple times and stuck his head in to see if everyone was decent. There were only a few guys in there and they were all fully clothed so he opened the door and stepped in the room, making sure to hold the door open for Chloe to follow.

"Randy, hey!" One of the men said loudly. The pair turned toward the voice and the guy smiled back. "And Chloe, nice to see you again." John Cena said, stepping forward to embrace the women in a hug.

"You too," She said amicably.

"So you took the internship?" John asked as he pulled away. He was the one who had informed Randy of the opening, thinking he would offer it up to the women. At first he had been unsure of their relationship, just based on the principal of the thing, but the more he thought about it and the more Randy talked about Chloe, he became more accepting. He figured getting her a job on the road would allow them to continue to get to know one another better without the added stress of being hundreds of miles away from each other. He knew from experience that it was tough to start a new relationship long distance and he wanted to give his friend the best opportunity to make this one work.

She smiled wide and nodded enthusiastically. "I had to!"

John laughed as he turned his attention to Randy. "How's it going?" He asked as they did the manly handshake hug.

Randy shrugged. "Can't complain." He said happily as he pulled Chloe closer to him. John noticed their happiness and walked back to his locker area to leave the couple alone. "So I'm going to get ready and then I'll take you around the back and I'll introduce you." Randy said, gesturing for her to sit down on the bench as he rummaged through his bag.

While Randy went into the shower area to change, a couple of the other men in the locker room came up and introduced themselves to her. They were all very nice, respectable guys: Cody Rhodes, Evan Bourne, Ted Dibiase and Adam, whom she had met earlier that day. They were all asking her about how she had got Randy to settle down and she only shrugged. She hadn't done anything special besides be herself. After a few more minutes of their questions about her and what she would be doing with the creative team, Randy came out wearing his wrestling trunks, an olive green Randy Orton t-shirt and his wrestling boots.

She couldn't help but smile at how good he looked. He smirked at her as he got closer to him and all the other guys around her immediately dispersed back to their own area to not interrupt the pair's time together. He bent down and pressed a kiss against her lips. "What do you think?" He asked, gesturing to what he was wearing. He distinctly remembered her telling him he was sexy in his ring gear.

She smirked back and ran her eyes over him. "Better in person,"

Randy's smirk widened before he put his clothes back in his bag and grabbed her hand, leading her out the room. "Alright, I say we hit up catering. That's where everyone usually hangs out."

* * *

Randy spent a good hour introducing Chloe to anyone that passed by. She pretty much liked everyone, they were all extremely nice to her. When it was almost time for him to go out and wrestle, he walked Chloe back to the locker room so she could wait for him to finish.

She looked around the room after he left and took in the silence. No one was in there but her so she reached into her purse and pulled out her phone to call Jessica.

Her friend picked up after only a couple rings. "Hello?" She answered cheerfully.

"Hey Jess," Chloe said, a smile immediately crossing her face at the sound of her friends voice. She hadn't even been gone a full day and she already missed home.

"Chloe? Girl, I miss you already!" Jess said with a laugh. "How are you?"

"I miss you too. I'm good. I'm sitting in Randy's locker room while he's wrestling." She explained.

"Have you started your job yet?" Jess asked.

"No, I don't start until Monday but he's introduced me to some people and they are all pretty nice. So how's everything at home?"

She blew a breath. "Well, as you know Josh is still out of a job and today he told me that he was being evicted from his apartment."

"What?" Chloe asked shocked. "When does he have to be out by?"

Jess rolled her eyes just thinking about the situation. "Apparently he's known about being evicted for three weeks. He only told me today, he has to be out by the end of the week and he has no place to go."

"What is he thinking?"

"I don't know. He's not thinking. But he guilt tripped me into letting him stay with me until he can find another place to live."

"Jess," Chloe said authoritatively. "You don't have to let him live there. He has to stand on his own two feet."

She sighed. "I know, but I can't let him live on the streets."

She shook her head. "You already do enough for him. You pay when you two go out, you buy his groceries, you drive everywhere. You're letting him use you."

"Chlo, I just need some time to figure things out. I'm not going to let him live here forever, just until he gets on his feet. I hear what you're saying but he's my boyfriend."

Chloe had to bite her tongue so she didn't just tell her friend to dump his ass. "Alright, it's your life, I just hope you know what you're doing."

"I do, so you don't mind that he's staying here?" Jess asked.

"No, as long as he stays away from my things." Chloe said.

"Thanks Chloe. Just trust me, I'll figure things out soon." She said with a smile.

Chloe looked up when Randy walked inside. "No problem. Hey, I gotta go, I'll call you tomorrow or Monday."

"Alright, talk to you later. Be safe!" Jess said, her mood once again cheerful.

"I will. You too, please just…watch out for yourself." Chloe said, concerned for her friend.

Jess laughed it off. "Oh, you worry too much. Bye!" She said before hanging up.

Chloe let out a sigh of concern when she ended the call. Randy noticed of course. "You okay?" He asked as he sat next to her to pull off his boots.

She looked up and smiled. "Yeah, just Jess's boyfriend, Josh, is kind of a mooch. He has no job and he just lost his apartment and apparently he guilt tripped Jess into letting him stay with her." She shrugged. "I just feel like he's using her."

Randy put a reassuring hand on her knee. "She'll realize soon, she's a smart girl."

She pressed a thankful kiss to his cheek. "I hope so. So how was your match?" She asked to change the subject.

He grinned and flexed his biceps. "I won," She laughed as Randy got up to go change so they could head back to the hotel.

* * *

**A/N: Well, it's finals week for me and I don't know how I managed and update, but I did! Thanks for all your wonderful reviews, I look forward to hear what you think of this chapter as well, even though I know it's a bit of a short one, I hope you enjoy!**


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 22_

Sunday passed by relatively fast for the two. They'd spent a good portion of the day traveling to the next city for Monday's Raw and once they got there, Chloe stayed in the hotel room to take a little nap while Randy did a radio interview to promote Raw. After he got back to his room, he'd gone into hers through the connecting door and saw she was asleep so he'd decided to just order room service and they could spend the rest of the day inside.

Monday, Chloe woke up a ball of nerves about her first day of the internship and it was clear to Randy she was freaking out. "How you feeling about tonight?" Randy asked after they'd both got dressed and were hanging out in his hotel room.

She gave him a look that asked, 'isn't it obvious?'. "I'm so nervous. I mean, what if no one likes me? What if they don't think I'm qualified for the job? What are they going to have me doing anyway? Will I like anyone?" She listed off all the questions that had been floating in her head all day.

Randy couldn't help but chuckled at her questions. "Hey baby, don't worry so much. You're going to stress yourself out. They're going to love you." He encouraged her as he pulled her closer to him.

She looked up at him, unsure. "What if the don't?"

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Then that's their loss. I love you and that's all that matters." Randy said.

Chloe's eyes widened a bit at the L word that escaped his mouth. She saw him out of the corner of her eye as he idly flipped through the channels. You would think if you just told your girlfriend you loved her for the first time, you'd be a little nervous, or at least making eye contact with her. She decided to ignore it instead of brining attention to it. It seemed like he didn't even notice he'd said it and she wasn't really ready to address that. "I can't help but worry." She admitted.

"Well it's settled then." He said, turning off the TV and standing up. "Let's go."

She furrowed her brow. "Where are we going?" She asked as she slipped her hand into his as he tugged her off the couch.

"Out. It's obvious sitting here doing nothing is making you even more nervous so we're going to go out and take your mind off things." He said, handing her her leather jacket.

"So, where exactly are we going?" She questioned.

"Not sure yet. We should probably go get something to eat first though, it's about lunchtime." He said as he led her out of the room, into the hall.

She shook her head vehemently. "No, I'm not hungry."

He looked at her strangely. "You haven't eaten all day."

She shrugged. "I'm too nervous! I couldn't eat even if I wanted to."

He shook his head. "No, you're eating." He told her. He spoke again when she looked like she was about to argue. "Chloe, if you don't eat now, you're going to have to eat later and you might not have time. You're going to be starving and dehydrated on your first day and you'll be no help to anyone then." She looked at him, not wanting to tell him he was probably right. He laughed. "It's ok, you don't have to tell me I'm right, I know I am."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Cocky bastard." She said under her breath, knowing he could hear.

She heard him laugh and he gave her a little swat on the butt. "That's right baby and you like it."

* * *

The pair spent the majority of the day walking around the city, sight-seeing. Randy had finally convinced her to eat something and she's glad she did because as she and Randy walked into the arena, her stomach began churning more than she'd ever experienced. She'd made Randy stop right after they'd entered the arena because she had to use the little girls room. She walked in and put her hands on the sink as she look at herself in the mirror. "Pull yourself together," She mumbled to herself. She stood up straight and looked over her outfit, making sure she made the right choice. She had on four inch black pumps and a pair of black pencil jeans paired with a loose white blouse under a charcoal gray boyfriend blazer with the sleeves rolled up just under her elbows to show the silk pinstripe inside lining.

She took a deep breath and touched her hair to make sure her loose bun was still in place before she walked out into the hallway. Randy opened his arms for her to embrace her with. She pouted and walked straight into his arms, resting her head on his collarbone. "I hate being nervous like this." She mumbled as she relished in the feeling of his arms wrapped securely around her.

He chuckled a little and rested his chin on top of her head. "Chlo, you are worrying about nothing. All this worry isn't going to do you any good and once you meet everyone and get to work, you are going to realize how unnecessary you're nerves were."

"I know, but that doesn't help. I know I'm being ridiculous and I'll be fine after I start but that doesn't stop me from worrying now."

He grinned at her. "Alright, I'll let you fret then."

She smiled up at him. "Thank you," She said before pressing her lips to his.

"As much as I would love to spend all night kissing you," He emphasized by kissing her once more. "You have an internship to report to."

She took a deep breath before exhaling sharply. "Ok…ok, I'm ready." She said as she stepped away from Randy.

"Come on, I'll walk you," He said, taking her hand in his.

She shook her head. "No, I'm sure they already know you got me this job, I don't need them thinking I'm bringing you to intimidate them or throw my weight around."

He shook his head as he grinned and lead the way down the hall. "You seriously over think more than anyone else I know."

She frowned. "I do not,"

He shot her a disbelieving look. "Oh please, you are way too worried about what others think of you."

She shrugged. "That's not a bad thing. I want people to like me."

He shook his head. "I didn't mean it as a bad thing. In fact, it's one of the many things I love about you." He shot her wink. Chloe's heart began beating rapidly. There was that L word again. They walked in silence the rest of the way to the room the creative team was working in. "Well, this is you," Randy said as he stopped a few feet away. "I thought I'd drop you off here. Wouldn't want to embarrass you or anything," He joked.

She playfully shoved him. "I'm not embarrassed of you."

He grinned. "Good. Call me if you need anything. I probably won't be seeing you until after the show, depending on what they have you doing."

She nodded. "Alright so I'll come find you after?"

"I'll come pick you up." He offered.

She smirked and nodded. "Well, wish me luck," She said as she began to walk closer to the door.

"Good luck!" He said as he waved to her and didn't leave his spot until she disappeared into the room.

Chloe walked into the room nervously. She looked around and noticed many people feverishly working. She walked a little further into the room and approached the closest person to her. "Excuse me," She said politely to get the woman's attention. Once the woman looked up at her, she smiled. "I'm Chloe Ryan, I'm here for an internship."

The woman beamed. "Oh yes, how are you? I'm Diana, I'm going to be the one that you will be reporting to."

"Oh great," She commented, liking this woman already.

"So have a seat and we can go over what you'll be doing here," Diana said as she pulled up a chair to sit next to her own. "Oh, I love those shoes by the way." She said enthusiastically.

Chloe grinned. "Thank you, I like yours too," She said before Diana launched into what she would be doing with her time with the department.

* * *

**A/N: So far so good for Chloe. Thanks for all your reviews, they are so encouraging. And I'd also like to thank all those who have alerted and favorited this story, I really appreciate it!**


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 23_

The minute Chloe walked into catering, her stomach grumbled at the sight of the food. Raw had just gone live and Diana told Chloe to take a break and go get something to eat. She walked toward the buffet tables and grabbed a plate and began piling it with food.

"Hey beautiful." Came a voice next to her ear. She turned in surprise and smiled when she saw it was Randy who was standing close to her.

"Hey," She said as she continued going down the line of food.

"They finally let you have a break huh?" He asked as he grabbed two water bottles, one for himself and one for her.

She nodded. "Yeah, but time has passed by quickly,"

Randy led her over to an empty table, pulling her chair out for her. "So what do you think so far? They giving you a hard time?"

She grinned. "Actually no. Everyone is really nice, I mean they're obviously very busy, but they are very friendly. And Diana, that's who is basically in charge of me, she's so sweet. She's been by my side all day, showing me everything I need to do step by step, she's very helpful."

He smiled back at her. "Good, that's good to hear."

"So what have you been up to?" She asked as she began to eat her food.

He shrugged. "Talked to John a while ago and we went over the match we have tonight. And I talked to Lindsey a little bit ago."

Chloe instantly smiled at the girls name. "How is she?"

"She's good," He paused. "And I told her about you being on the road with me." He held his breath waiting for her reaction.

Chloe looked up at him in surprise. That was a big step for him. "You did?" He nodded. "What'd she say?"

"She said that it was cool that I got you a job." They both smiled. "And she also asked why you didn't want to teach anymore." He saw her about to speak but he continued. "Don't worry, I told her you weren't quitting teaching. She understands this job is just for the summer."

She nodded and smiled a little. "So she's seems okay with it?"

He nodded. "She seems more than ok with it."

"Good, that's a big step toward actually telling her about us, I'm proud of you." She admitted.

He rested his hand on her leg and leaned forward so he could press a kiss to her lips. "Me too baby,"

* * *

"Here you go baby," Sam said as she set a bowl of mac and cheese in front of Lindsey. She watched as her daughter dug in and her thoughts instantly went to fifteen minutes ago when Randy had called. She had a feeling it wasn't just a normal conversation between the two. "So what'd your dad say on the phone?" She asked casually.

Linds shrugged and didn't speak until she swallowed what was in her mouth. "He said he missed me and that he would be home soon. He said on Friday he would take me to the zoo."

"Oh that will be fun," She said before putting a small bowl of baby carrots in front of her daughter.

She nodded. "Oh, and he also said that Chloe got a job with him, isn't that cool?" They young girl asked excitedly.

Sam's eyes instantly darkened in anger. He couldn't just listen to her for once. "Really?"

"Yeah, he said she's working with the people that write the show. I think that's so cool!"

Sam turned so her back was facing her daughter so she couldn't see her anger. She couldn't believe he had the nerve to not only ignore his wishes, but also to go so far as to get Chloe a job so she had to travel with him from now on. She shook her head as she walked over to the sink to do her dishes. She had thought she was over Randy. But ever since he's been spending time with Chloe, she was rethinking things. Maybe she and Randy could give their relationship another go. He didn't belong with someone like Chloe anyway, she wasn't his type. She knew she was going to have to take matters into her own hands. She didn't know what she was going to do yet but she knew she had to do something. She couldn't let this go on.

* * *

Chloe walked down the hall tiredly. The show was almost over and Diana had told her she could leave. She read the names on the door as she passed each one. She had no idea where Randy was. She grabbed her phone and sent him a quick text message, telling him that she was done for the day and she told him where she was.

She got a quick reply telling her he was on his way and she leant her back against the wall as she waited. She turned her head a minute later and saw Randy walking towards her, dressed in his street clothes, carrying his bag. "Hey, I thought I was going to come get you in the office."

She shrugged and smiled. "I thought I could find you."

He grinned. "How'd that work out for you?"

"Too many doors!" She whined.

He laughed and grabbed her hand, pulling her away from the wall. "Next time I'll show you where my locker room is first so you know." He pulled her against him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Sounds good."

He heard her tired tone and caressed her shoulder. "You tired?" He questioned.

"Mmhmm," Was her reply. After they reached the car, Randy helped her into the passenger seat before getting in the drivers seat and pulling away. Once they reached the hotel, Randy noticed she had already dozed off. He shook her a couple times to wake her and once she did, they walked into the hotel, Chloe slumping against his side sleepily.

"Alright, we're here." He said as he pushed open the hotel room door. Chloe walked right to Randy's bed and collapsed on it. "Hey, that's my bed," He said as he held open the connecting door that led to her room.

She opened one eye and pouted at him. "I don't want to move again.

Randy chuckled and nodded. "Ok, we'll swap beds for the night." He said as he took off his shirt and pulled down his pants.

"Just sleep here with me." She said.

He raised a surprised eyebrow. Though they had had sex several times, they'd never spent the night together. "You sure?" She nodded and patted the spot beside her.

He climbed into bed beside her and pulled her close to him. "Night."

* * *

**A/N: Don't hate me! I know, i'm sorry it's taken me like a week to update but I was just not motivated to write at all. I took a bit of a break but i'm back and even though i didnt write anything, i've thought a lot about this story a lot. Thanks for all your reviews, they are absolutely wonderful, hope you enjoy this chapter!**


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 24_

Chloe woke up with a groan Wednesday morning when her phone began to ring shrilly. She looked up and saw Randy was beginning to stir next to her. She gently pulled his arm off her and walked over to her purse to search for her phone.

"Hello?" She answered in a tired whisper.

"Chloe!" Rachel's excited voice came from the other end.

"Rachel? It's so early!" She whined as she walked back to the bed.

"Chloe! I got the job!" She said, ignoring her friends whine.

Chloe instantly woke up. "No way!"

"Yes!"

She looked at Randy, who was now awake and smiled wide. "Oh my god! You got the job!"

"I'm so excited, we'll get to travel together!" Rachel said.

"It's gonna be so fun. And you're going to love everyone there. They're really busy but super nice."

"Great. Ok, so I gotta go, I have to go submit a drug test, I guess it's standard procedure." Rachel said with a roll of her eyes.

"Ok, you're still picking us up from the airport tonight right?" Chloe asked to be sure.

"Yeah, when does your flight come in?"

"Like sevenish. And Randy's friend John is coming too, that's not a problem is it?"

"Nope, no problem. Alright, I really gotta go but I'll see you later tonight!" Rachel said.

After they hung up, Chloe turned to Randy, who already had a smile on his face. He'd probably figured it out by now. "She got the job?"

Chloe nodded. "Yes, isn't that great?" She asked as she laid back down, her head resting on his chest. "I'll get to be on the road with my best friend and my boyfriend."

He grinned. "I hope that doesn't mean you'll neglect me."

She looked at him and kiss his lips. "Please, how could that happen? You're too good looking to neglect." She giggled as Randy rolled her over so he was laying on top of her.

* * *

Later in the day, Jessica walked into her apartment with a sigh. She had had a pretty stressful day at work and all she wanted to do was make dinner then go to bed. "Josh?" She called out, wondering if her boyfriend was there. She received no answer. She set her bag down on the floor and saw a note on the bulletin board. It was in Josh's messy handwriting and it said, _At Greg's place. Be back later. _She rolled her eyes. Greg was one of Josh's slacker friends. She'd always wondered why Josh was friends with him and it wasn't until just recently that she'd discovered why. They both had absolutely no motivation in life. She walked into her bedroom and began to change into her sweats. After she was done, she turned her head when something caught her eye and she frowned. There was something sticking out from behind her pillow.

She walked closer and pulled her pillow back so she could see. She gulped when she saw what it was. She moved her hand to pick it up and held it in front of her face. It was a red lace bra. It was a red lace bra that was definitely not hers. She pursed her lips in anger as she surveyed the bed. It was definitely much messier than when she had made it this morning. Obviously this was Josh's doing.

She dropped the bra onto the floor before stripping the bed of all the bed sheets. She balled them up and threw it into her closet. No way was she sleeping on those contaminated sheets. She grabbed the extra set of sheets she had and made her bed. She picked the bra back up as she walked over to the other side of the bed, Josh's side. She smoothed the comforter with her hands before she laid the bra on it.

She left the room, heading for the kitchen so she could make herself something for dinner. Josh came home about a half hour later. "Babe?" He called out.

"In the kitchen." She said.

He didn't say anything back but a few seconds later, she heard him walk into the kitchen and over to where she was standing over the stove. "Hey baby," He said, dropping a kiss to her shoulder. "What are you cooking? Smells good."

She looked up and planted a smile on her face, not wanting to give away that she knew of his betrayal. "Chicken, rice and a salad."

"Mmm," He said in approval. "Sounds good."

"So what did you do today?" She couldn't help but ask.

He shrugged. "Went through the want ads online and in the paper this morning," Liar, she thought to herself. "Then I met up with Greg and we went job hunting." Liar, she thought again. Why can't he just tell the truth? "Aren't you proud of me?" He asked with a smile.

She nodded. "I am,"

"I'm gonna go take a shower before dinner. Job hunting sure does take a lot out of you." She rolled her eyes. What he meant to say was "Fucking girls behind your back sure takes a lot out of me." She was silent as she watched him walk away. She didn't even breathe. She wanted to hear his reaction. For a second she thought he was just going to ignore the bra laying on his side of the bed. But then he seemed to see it. "Babe?" He called out. She walked into the bedroom and leant against the doorjamb. He turned and saw her standing there and he held up the bra. "What's this?"

She raised an eyebrow and smiled sweetly. "I don't know, what is that Joshua?" She asked as she walked closer to him. He didn't say anything. "You can't even say it, can you? It's easy to fuck someone else in my bed but you can't say it?" She said angrily.

He let out a sigh and turned to face his girlfriend. "I can explain."

She rolled her eyes. "Please, save it. I'm not interested in hearing what you have to say. Seeing that," She said pointing to the bra. "is explanation enough."

"But babe,"

"No but babe. I want you to pack your things and get the fuck out of my house." She said firmly as she turned to leave.

He grabbed her elbow and turned her around. "But babe, you can't do that. I have no place else to go." He pleaded. "Please, don't do that."

She put her hands on his shoulders like she was actually considering to forget the fact that he had sex with another girl in her bed. Just when he relaxed and leaned forward, thinking she'd forgiven him, she brought her knee up and nailed him right in the crotch. "You should have thought about that before you cheated on me, you bastard." She said before leaving the room and walking into the kitchen.

Once Jess's food was done cooking, she put it on a plate and sat at the bar, ready to eat. Josh was finished packing his things by now and was walking towards the door. He set his things by the door and walked up to Jessica. "So when will I see you?"

She looked up at him and furrowed her brow. "Um, never?"

He frowned. "Wait, you're breaking up with me?"

She looked at him, genuinely confused. "You think I'm cool with you sleeping with other women? No. I'm not just kicking you out of my house Josh, I'm kicking you out of my life."

He looked surprised but nodded. "I'm gonna go but I'm going to call you in a couple days. I don't want you to do something you'll regret."

"Josh, this is long overdue. I'm not going to regret it." She said as Josh walked out of the apartment. It was weird. In a way, it was sad, the way things ended. She had really cared for Josh and it hurt that he had cheated on her. But she knew this was for the best. Her friends kept telling her that Josh was using her and she didn't need him but it wasn't until this moment that she really realized that she was going to be ok without him, better even.

* * *

**A/N: As always, thank you for your reviews! Finally, Jess gets rid of that Jackass! Let me know what you thought of this chapter if you have some time.**


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 25_

After dropping Randy and John off at Randy's place with a promise to meet up later at a club, Rachel and Chloe headed to go see Jessica and inform her that they were all going out to celebrate Rachel getting the writing job. The girls walked in the apartment with a loud whoop. "Jessica!" Chloe yelled loudly. "Get your butt into gear, we are going out!"

Rachel laughed as they walked further into the apartment. "And Chloe never wants to go out so we need to take advantage." Both of the girls stopped when they saw Jess sitting on the couch looking up at her friends with a smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. There was obviously something not quite right.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Chloe asked, lowering her voice as she stepped forward to sit down next to her friend.

Jess let out a breath. "I broke up with Josh." She said, causing Chloe and Rachel to look at each other in understanding.

"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry." Rachel said, putting a reassuring hand on her back.

"What happened?" Chloe asked curiously.

"He cheated. In my bed. When I wasn't home." She answered as she glanced up to look at her friends.

Chloe put a hand to her heart. "Oh no,"

Jess chuckled a little. "Oh yes," She bit her lip and looked from one friend to the next. "But can we not talk about it right now?" Rachel and Chloe nodded immediately, knowing that they needed to give their friend some time before she talked about what happened. "Thanks. So, we're going out?" She asked with a genuine smile as she remembered what her friends had said when they first walked in the door.

Chloe beamed. "Yes! And we're meeting Randy and his friend John."

"What's the occasion? Like Rach said, you never want to go out." Jess wondered.

Chloe sent a look over to Rachel telling her to explain. Jess looked at Rach before she spoke. "I got the job!" She said excitedly.

Jess raised her eyebrows in happiness. "No way! That's great!" She said before wrapping her arms around her friend.

"Thanks! I'm very excited to start and write up some action." She said, rubbing her hands together.

Jess smiled at her before turning to Chloe and giving her a hug. "I've missed you!" She rocked her friend back and forth, and she just laughed.

"I've miss you too! It's so good to be home." Chloe admitted.

"You have to tell us about your internship. What's it like?" Jess asked.

"I'll tell you guys about it later. Right now, we need to get ready to go out and meet Randy." She said, standing up.

Both the girls nodded and also stood up. "Ok, I'm going to need to borrow something from one of you though. I can't go out like this." Rach said, pointing to her cargo shorts and tank top.

"No problem, I have a dress you would look great in." Jess said, leading Rachel to her room. Chloe smiled as she watched her friends disappear. She hoped the night would help Jess forget about what a loser Josh was. She couldn't deny that though she was happy her friend had broken up with Josh, she was a little surprised. Jess almost seemed to be under a spell when she was around him. Though, Chloe reasoned with herself as she opened her closet doors, he did cheat on her and no matter how smitten with a guy Jess was, cheating, she would never allow.

An hour later, the girls left the apartment all dolled up, ready to hit the club. Rachel was wearing Jessica's navy blue jersey tank dress and black four inch booties that made her legs go on for days. Jess had on a pair of black skinny jeans tucked into black leather high heeled boots and a black scoop neckline tank top. Chloe was in a mini dress of contrasting panels of blue and white wrapping the dress with black pumps on her feet.

Immediately after entering the club, Chloe spotted Randy and John waiting for them at the bar. She greeted John with a hug before pulling Randy into her arms and placing a kiss on his lips. They smiled at each other after they pulled away.

"Nice to see you again John," Rachel said amicably.

Chloe turned and smiled. "Jess, you know Randy, and this is his friend John." She said, putting a hand on his bicep. "John, this is my other best friend, Jessica."

"Hey Randy," Jess said, stepping forward to give the man a brief hug before turning her attention to John. She couldn't help but be incredibly attracted to the man. He was drop dead gorgeous and oh so yummy as he stood there in a pair of jeans and a button up black shirt with the top three buttons undone as the shirt stretched tightly over his muscles. "Nice to meet you," She said, offering him her hand as she silently prayed that her voice came out as confident and not like a nervous teenager.

John smiled and clasped his hand in hers. "You too,"

Chloe raised an intrigued eyebrow as she saw their exchange. She had never thought of hooking up John and Jess but as she saw them standing there, smiling at each other with their hands still clasped together, though neither seemed to notice, she couldn't help but wonder how a relationship between the two would work out.

"All right guys, come on, I think I spot an empty table, let's go get it." Randy said as he lead the group away from the bar, his hand holding Chloe's. Rachel, John and Jess made a move to follow their friends but as they stepped forward a little bit, they saw that the couple was no where to be seen, instead replaced by a bunch of strangers passing by.

"Whoops, I lost them." Rachel said, turning to face John and Jess. "Well, I'm going to head out onto the dance floor. I'll come find you guys later." She said before shaking her hips a little as she walked out onto the dance floor.

Jess turned to face John and shrugged her shoulders. "Want to get a drink?"

John grinned and nodded his head toward the bar. "Come on, my treat." He said as he set his hand on the small of her back, leading her to a pair of stools.

Jess was about a puddle at the feel of his hand on her. This gorgeous specimen had his hands on her. "You won't hear me complaining about that." She joked as she sat down.

John chuckled as he sat down next to her. "So what'll it be? A cosmo? A martini?" He mocked as he named off the girly drinks he was usually buying for women at bars.

She raised a challenging eyebrow and squared her shoulder before answer. "I'll have a beer thank you very much."

He matched her raised brow with one of his own, clearly surprised. He turned to the bartender and held up two fingers. "Two beers." The bartender nodded and reached under the bar, producing two ice cold bottles of beer. He popped the caps off, one after another before setting them in front of the two. John handed him a couple bills and nodded a thanks to the man before he went on his way to tend to other people. "So," He said after taking a swig of his beer and he turned to face Jess. "How'd you meet Chloe?"

She shrugged as she swallowed her sip of beer. "She moved back here after college and needed a place to live. I met Rachel through school and she told Chloe I was looking for a roommate. She stopped by to meet me and see the place and she was hooked." She said with a playful smile. "What about you? how'd you meet Randy?"

He too shrugged. "We went to the same training facility."

"Training?" She asked with a furrowed brow.

"Wrestling."

She nodded her head. "Oh that's right. So you wrestle too huh?" She asked as she put her beer bottle to her lips.

He leaned closer and lifted his eyebrow. Jess had to resist the urge to swoon at how incredibly sexy that look was for him. "Impressed?"

She smiled at his confidence. "Honey, when you look at the men I have been forced to spend time with lately, the fact that you have a job is enough to impress me."

He chuckled. "I don't know about that. I don't know if I was a..." He paused trying to think of an unimpressive profession. "professional pooper scooper, you would be too impressed."

She couldn't help but laugh at the random job he pulled out of his ass. "Not too glamorous, no, but does it have a steady paycheck? Yes. Does it ensure money for groceries and rent? Yes. That's enough to impress me right now."

John grunted before taking another swig of beer. "Sounds like someone messed you up."

She laughed. "Thank you,"

He grimaced a little. "I didn't mean it like that. I mean, it's great for someone to have a job...but, you can't possibly be impressed with anyone who has a job." He paused for a second and studied her. "Sounds like someone is using you."

"Was." She corrected. That instantly made her think of Josh. And made her realize that she had definitely been flirting with John. And she was enjoying it. She was enjoying his company. But she just broke up with Josh. It was way too soon to develop feelings for another man. Wasn't it?

"Ahh," John said in understanding.

She nodded. "Yeah, but I don't want to talk about it." She turned her attention to the dance floor and smiled as she saw all the happy people moving to the fast beat.

John noticed where her attention had strayed and stood up. "Let's dance."

She looked up at him in surprise. "You don't look like the type." She commented though she put her hand in the hand he had offered.

He chuckled. "I'm full of surprises. Come on," He said before pulling her out onto the dance floor.

* * *

  
"I think we lost them." Chloe said as she and Randy sat down at the table. She looked at where she'd just come from and she didn't see any of their friends in sight.

"They'll find us," Randy assured her as he pulled her closer to him.

She looked at him and smiled seductively. "You just want me to yourself."

He grinned back. "Guilty," He said before placing a sweet kiss on her lips.

"So, you were right." She said after a moment.

"Right about what?" He asked her confused.

"Jess finding out that Josh is a dick." She reminded him.

He laughed. "That's not what I said."

She shrugged. "Close enough. She found out that he was cheating on her and she dumped him."

He grimaced. "Ouch. That's awful, is she okay?"

How sweet was he? Asking about how her friend was doing, she could help but smile at him. "I think she's okay. She didn't really say much about it and she seems a little sad but not torn up about it, which is good." She turned her head to look out on the dance floor and instantly spotted Rachel with her hands thrown up over her head as she danced with two guys. Chloe let her eyes wander around the rest of the dance floor and a smile spread wide across her face as she saw John and Jess dancing. She put her hand on Randy's knee and gave it a firm squeeze to get his attention.

"What's up?" He asked as he leaned closer to her.

She turned to him with a grin before pointing to their friends dancing together. "Aren't they the cutest? I think this has definite possibilities."

Randy frowned as he watched the pair dance. "I don't know."

She immediately turned to face him. "What? You don't think they're cute together?"

He shrugged. "No, they're cute together, I don't know if that's a good thing though."

She frowned at him. "Why? Is it Jess? Do you not like her? Cause you barely know her." She pointed out in her friends defense.

He smiled and wrapped his hands around his girlfriend's. "No Chlo, that's not it at all. The little I know about her I like."

She tilted her head in confusion. "Then what's the problem?"

"Well aside from the fact that they just met each other," He said, shooting her a pointed look. "You just told me that she just broke up with Josh."

She pursed her lips. He was right. "Yes but..."

He smiled as he wrapped her arm around her waist. "I do think they're cute together but she's just getting out of a relationship and John's not exactly a monogamous kind of guy."

"He's a slut?" She asked surprised.

Randy laughed and shook his head. "Not the word I'd use."

"Well what word would you use?" she challenged.

He thought about it for a second before answering. "Indecisive." He said, causing Chloe to roll her eyes. "Listen," He said when it looked like she was going to say something. "All I'm saying is let things happen naturally. If they like each other then let them hash it out. Can you do that for me?"

She pretended to think about it before nodding. "As long as you can do something for me."

"Anything." He said without a thought as he stared longingly into her eyes.

"Dance with me." She said with a smile.

He gave a soft chuckle before nodded. "With you I'd do anything."

* * *

**A/N: I was so excited to see all your reviews of the last chapter, thank you! This chapter is a little longer than normal, so I hope you enjoy.**


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 26_

Chloe woke up with a yawn the next morning. Last night had been, surprisingly to her, a lot of fun. After dancing with Randy for a while, she eventually was able to track down Rachel and actually spend some time with her. She'd gotten some time with Jess too but when they weren't together, Jess was out on the dance floor with John. Chloe couldn't help but smile at the thought. There was definitely potential there.

"Good morning," She heard Randy huskily say beside her. She turned around and smiled at him. It was obvious he just woke up and she reached her hand out to softly stroke his cheek.

"Good morning," She said back as she pressed a kiss to his lips.

"Have I told you how much I like waking up next to you?" Randy asked coyly.

She smiled. "You have."

"Good, cause I like it." He said as he nuzzled his face into her neck, pressing a kiss here and there. When the group had been ready to head home last night, Randy insisted Chloe come and stay the night with him at his house. She had been a bit reluctant though because she'd driven the girls there and both of them were way too drunk to drive. Before Randy even had a chance to protest, John had offered to drive the girls back to the apartment, as he had only had one beer hours ago and was relatively sober.

"I better get home." She said, though if she was honest, she never wanted to leave Randy's bed where she was wrapped tightly in his arms.

He let out a groan of protest and worked his lips up her jaw to her lips. "Stay," He insisted.

She smiled at him sympathetically and put both her hands on his cheeks. "I wish I could but I have to spend time with the girls before I'm back on the road again."

He pouted but he understood. He got to spend all his time on the road with her, it was only fair for him to not hog her while they were home. "Ok," He finally agreed. "I'm taking Linds to the zoo tomorrow." He said and then paused. "I think I might tell her about us."

She raised a surprised eyebrow, though her smile still on her lips. "Really?"

He nodded and ran a hand over his face. "I'm going to have to tell her eventually. Plus she really seems to like you so I'm hoping she won't have a problem with it."

She pursed her lips in thought. "And what about Sam?"

Randy gulped uncomfortably. "That's a different story entirely. I'm thinking that if she sees that Lindsey is ok with it, she'll cool off." He said then shrugged. "I don't know. There's not much I can do. Either she's comfortable with it or she's not. I'm not going to baby her. She just has to deal."

She nodded and leaned forward, pressing a kiss on his lips. "Do you want me to be there with you when you tell Linds?" She asked, offering her support.

He shook his head. "This is something I have to do myself."

* * *

An hour later, Chloe waved to Randy as she got out of his car and walked up to her apartment. Once she was at home, she noticed the silence. Obviously, Jess was not up. She walked into her room but stopped when she saw Rachel asleep in her bed. She nodded her head as she remembered that John had given the girls a ride back here and Rach crashed here. She walked out of her room, closing the door quietly, and looked up when she heard Jess's door open. She smiled as she waited to see her best friend walk out the door.

Only, it wasn't Jess.

It was John. He let out a silent yawn as he adjusted the hat that was on his head. "Good morning." She said with a smug grin. Obviously those two had hit it off better than she thought.

John's head immediately snapped up in shock. "Uh...Chloe," He glanced back at the now closed door before facing the woman again. "This is not...what it looks like."

She gave him an amused look. "It isn't?"

"No. I...she..."He paused to collect his thoughts. "Jess, she asked me to stay."

She raised a brow. "She did?"

He let out a frustrated sigh as he struggled to explain. "I walked them up here and made sure they got in their beds safely. But Jess kept mumbling something about a guy, Josh I think, cheating on her. She asked me to stay. She said she couldn't be alone." He shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't want to leave her alone in that state."

Chloe let out a sigh. "Well, thanks, that was nice of you."

He nodded and took a couple steps toward the front door but stopped when he was standing in front of her. "Did that guy- Josh, really cheat on her?"

She nodded sadly. He shook his head in disappointment. "She's a really great girl."

Chloe offered him a smile. "You're a good guy John."

"Anyway," He said, breaking off his thoughts of the sleeping woman in the other room. "I better get to my hotel,"

"You need a ride?" She offered, knowing because he had arrived at the club with Randy and dropped her car off here after, that he had no transportation.

"Thank you but I already called a cab. He should be here soon." He explained before the two said their goodbyes and he left.

An hour or so later, both Rachel and Jess had come out into the living room, finally awake from their slumber. "Good afternoon sleeping beauties." Chloe said playfully as she watched her obviously hungover friends drink tea. They both groaned. "Well, I was quite surprised this morning to come home and see John leaving your room." She said to Jess.

"What?" Rachel asked, obviously unaware of this.

Jess blushed. "It's not like that, nothing happened."

"I know, he told me." Chloe said and paused. "He said you kept talking about Josh," She said this softly, so she didn't come off as attacking.

Jess sighed and nodded. "Yeah, that I remember."

Chloe and Rachel exchanged looks. "Are you okay?" Rach asked, reaching a hand over to touch her friend comfortingly.

Jess looked at her friends thoughtfully as she thought of her answer. "You might not believe me but yes. After I realized that he was cheating on me," She paused and looked at her friends in wonder. "It's like a light went off. I realized that everything you guys have told me about him using me and not being right for me, was right. Believe it or not, I almost feel relieved that we're not together anymore. It's like a weight is lifted off my shoulders." She admitted.

Chloe nodded. "I'll bet. He was weighing you down."

Jess nodded. "Exactly. But what hurts is the cheating," She finally let out the one thing that had been weighing on her mind since she found out. "It's so degrading. I just can't believe he would cheat on me. I mean we didn't have the best relationship but...couldn't he just end things with me if he wasn't happy?" She questioned, looking for answers.

Rach let out a heavy sigh. "Jess, like we've told you, he was using you. He may not have been happy with your relationship but he needed you." She said, looking into her friends eyes to make sure she was hearing her. "He had no place to live, no money, no food. Without you he would be out on the streets."

Jess pursed her lips. "I can't believe I'm so stupid."

Chloe put a hand on her friends shoulder. "Hey, don't you say that. You're not stupid, he is. He didn't see what he had right in front of him."

"I should have listened to you guys." Jess admitted.

Rach smiled. "Yes you should have," She said, causing Jess to crack a small smile. "But that doesn't mean you're stupid. Everyone discovers things at different times. Everything happens for a reason."

Chloe poked her friend to get her attention. When Jess was looking at her she grinned. "John said you were a great girl."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah and he seemed really distraught that someone could cheat on you."

Jess smiled. "He's nice."

Rach bumped her shoulder to Jess's. "I think maybe you're going to have to join us on the road soon to see him."

Jess nodded as she thought of the possibility. "Maybe," Chloe shared a smiled with Rachel as they realized their friend may have a little crush on a certain wrestler.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews!**


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 27_

Chloe pulled up to Randy's house Friday night nervously. She had gotten a call from him less than an hour ago asking her to come over so he could fill her in on what happened today at the zoo with Lindsey. Honestly, Chloe could see it going either way. She wouldn't be surprised if Linds was upset about it but on the other hand, she wouldn't be horribly surprised if she was happy with it. She walked uneasily up to the porch in her black velour track suit. After knocking on the door, she slapped a confident expression on her face because if he had bad news to deliver, she didn't want to make him feel bad. If Linds was not ok with their relationship, she would accept the fact that Randy would probably want to end things. She knew that by the end of the night, their relationship could be no longer. This was a huge bump in the road. If his daughter was ok with things, they would get over the bump and continue on the road that was their relationship. But if it upset her, the bump would hold a 'No Trespassing' sign and the road would end.

"Hey," Randy said as he pulled open the door, greeting her as if it was any other day. He wasn't extra happy, but he didn't show a sign of disappointment so Chloe still held hope.

"Hey," She said back as she stepped into the house, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"You want something to drink?" Randy offered as he led her into the living room with his hand on the small of her back.

She shook her head. "I'm ok, thanks."

Randy nodded as he sat down on the couch, patting the spot next to him so she would join him. "How was your day?"

"Uneventful. I watched some of those wrestling tapes you let me borrow. It's nice to actually understand what the company you're working for is all about."

Randy smiled. "Good, I'm glad they're helpful."

Chloe let out a sigh. "Randy, why are you acting like this is a first date? Did you tell Linds? Cause if you didn't, it's ok, I understand that's a big step and you might need more time."

"No, I told her." He commented.

Inside, her heart sank. So the reason he must be acting so weird was because Linds isn't ok with it. "So what happened? How'd it go?" She asked as she placed her hand on top of his reassuringly.

Randy licked his lips as he watched her. "I'll start from the beginning," He said as he launched into the story.

**_A Couple Hours Ago, At the Zoo_**

_"Did you have fun today?" Randy asked his daughter as he watched her scarf down the ice cream cone he'd bought her. They were just about done with the zoo; they just finished seeing the monkey's when Randy bought her an ice cream and led her over to a bench so they could talk._

_Lindsey looked up at her dad with a grin. "So much fun!"_

_He couldn't help but beam proudly. "Oh yeah, what was your favorite part?"_

_"The petting zoo," She paused thoughtfully. "And the elephants," Another pause. "And the giraffes," She listed, unable to make up her mind._

_"Those were my favorite parts too." Randy agreed then gulped, knowing it was now or never. "Linds, there is something I need to talk to you about." She just looked up at him expectantly, cuing him to go on. "You remember how I told you that Chloe and I have become good friends since school's got out?" He questioned._

_She nodded as she happily took another lick of her ice cream cone. "She's my friend too,"_

_Randy smiled. "That's right. Well," He paused, another gulp. "Things have changed and-"_

_She cut him off. "You're not friends anymore?" She looked like she was going to cry._

_"No, no baby," He said as he rubbed the top of her head affectionately. "In fact, quite the opposite." She tilted her head in confusion. "We've developed special feelings for each other and we would like to date. But," He said. "We both wanted to let you know and ask what you thought of it."_

_She took a breath and looked up at her dad. "She's going to be my new mommy?"_

_Randy shook his head. "No baby, Mommy will always be your mommy. But, if it's okay with you, I would like Chloe to be my girlfriend."_

_"Can she still be my friend?" Linds asked._

_Randy let a smile slip on his face. "Of course, in fact, your friendship is really important to her."_

_"Really?" She asked happily. Randy nodded. "Then it's okay with me."_

_"You sure?" Randy asked._

_She nodded and brought her knees under her on the bench to give her some more height. She reached up and put her hand on her dad's face. "Will it make you happy?"_

_Randy nodded and brought his hand up to hold hers on his face. "Very much. Having you already makes me the happiest man alive but with Chloe, I'd be extra happy."_

_Lindsey smiled and pressed a kiss to her dad's cheek. "I'd be extra happy too."_

_Randy felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding and pulled his daughter into his arms. "Thank you baby." He pulled back a little and looked at her. "But if you have a problem with anything, let me know, okay?" She nodded, happy to see her dad so happy. "Alright then. I believe we've got one more spot to hit." He said, standing up, setting Linds on the ground. "Any idea where we're going?"_

_She looked up at her dad, beaming. "Gift shop?" She asked excitedly._

_"Gift shop." He confirmed, knowing it was her favorite spot to hit wherever they went._

**Back to Present**

Chloe smiled up at Randy, her cheeks hurting so much with how hard she was smiling. "So, we're good?"

Randy nodded, his grin matching hers. "We're more than good." He said and leaned forward, catching her lips with his. Chloe melted immediately into the kiss, returning it with equal excitement and glee. Randy pulled away from her mouth a couple minutes later, his forehead resting against hers. "Linds is upstairs but she really wants to see you, is that ok?"

She nodded. "Of course," She said, her voice husky from the kiss.

"Linds!" Randy yelled. A couple seconds later they heard some clatter upstairs and then a door open.

"Dad?" Linds yelled back.

"Chloe's here, you want to see her?" He shouted.

"Yes!" Linds yelled excitedly. Loud, fast footsteps were heard from upstairs as the young girl ran down the stairs, straight into Chloe's arms once she reached them. "I missed you!" She said, having not seen her dad's girlfriend since the week before.

Chloe couldn't help but smile happily. "I missed you too Linds," She said as she readjusted so the girl could sit in her lap comfortingly. "You're dad told me about your day at the zoo, did you have fun?"

Her face lit up. "So much fun! We saw the lions, and the elephants, and the monkeys, and the giraffes, and the penguins, and the koalas!" She listed off eagerly.

"Wow, I'm so jealous, the elephants are my favorite!" Chloe said back just as excitedly.

"Mine too!" Lindsey said with wide eyes. Randy couldn't help but grin as he watched them. His daughter and his girlfriend. Damn that sounded good. He felt like the luckiest man alive that he was blessed with such a wonderful daughter and with an amazing girlfriend. He felt his heart tug as they chattered back and forth as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He knew at that moment that he loved Chloe. He couldn't imagine not having her in his life. He couldn't imagine never seeing her again. And he could only imagine her as his wife as they bred more children and raised them happily together. He knew he was getting ahead of himself but nothing could make him love this woman any less than he did. He could only imagine his love for her grow deeper by the day.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! I'm taking a couple classes over summer so things are a bit hectic. But today I was in a writing mood and I wrote two chapters so hopefully this week I can find some time to make a quick update. Thanks for all your reviews, as always they are wonderful!**


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 28_

After Rachel, Chloe, Randy and John landed in the next city, they headed to the hotel, where they had a few hours to rest before they needed to head off to the arena for tonight's house show. After checking in at the hotel, John left the trio so he could hit the gym for a while.

"I'm kinda tired, I could go for a nap." Chloe said as she snuggled close to Randy.

"Yeah?" Randy asked as he ran his hand over her hair soothingly. "I could go for a nap."

Chloe looked up at Rachel. "Will you be okay on your own?"

Rach nodded. "Yeah, I'll probably hit the gym for a while myself after I drop my things off in my room." The trio walked into the elevator, getting off on the same floor, though they went in separate directions to get to their respective rooms. After Rachel walked into her room, she set her suitcase in the closet. She took her laptop out of her bag and set it on the bed before pressing the power button and turning it on. While she waited for it to boot up, she walked over to her suitcase and changed into a pair of black spandex shorts and an ancient bright yellow shirt she received from running a marathon in college. She sat bag down on the bed, her laptop in front of her, so she could quickly check her e-mail before heading off to the gym.

She silently grazed through her e-mail, weeding out the spam and other unwanted mail. Her head popped up when she heard someone jiggling her hotel door knob from the hall. She didn't hear anything for the next couple seconds, so she shrugged it off as someone accidentally going to the wrong room. But a second later, the door knob jiggled again and the door opened. She hopped off the bed and stood defensively with her hand on her hips as she watched a very attractive man enter the room. She was almost distracted by his lanky but muscular frame encased in an old band shirt and a pair of designer jeans with beat up converse on his feet. She forced herself to stop checking her out. This man was breaking into her room! "Um, excuse me, who are you and what are you doing in my room?" She demanded, staying calm. She had no idea what this man was doing in her room and what she really wanted to do was scream in hopes of someone to come and rescue her.

He frowned at her. "This is my room."

She squinted her eyes at him. "No, this is my room." She said as she reached over to the bedside table where she'd throw the little packet the front desk had given her along with her key. She reluctantly walked closer to the man and showed him the paper. "See, room 322" She said as she pointed to where the front desk had written her room number.

He looked at it before pulling his own out of his pocket. "See, room 322" He echoed as he showed his to hers.

She glared down at it. No way was she sharing a room with this stranger. "Well, I was here first so you better go get that fixed."

He studied her for a second. "Lady, you got a bad attitude."

She let out a silent gasp before scowling at him. "I'm sorry," She said tightly. "But it's not everyday a man breaks into my hotel room."

He rolled his eyes. "Well it's not my fault, no need to get pissy with me."

"I'm not pissy!" She defended.

He let out a chuckle, which only pissed her off more. "Ok lady. I'm going to go down to the front desk to get a new room. Why don't you take a nap and sleep off that grumpy attitude."

She glared at him as he left. "What a jerk," She mumbled under her breath. She turned back to her computer before shutting it down. She slid on her running shoes before heading down to the gym.

* * *

Randy and Chloe walked into the lobby twenty minutes later. Neither of them had been able to sleep so they decided they would just take a walk around the hotel to kill time. Chloe frowned as she saw Adam in the lobby grumbling to himself as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. She elbowed Randy to get his attention. "Hey, isn't that your friend?" She asked him, pointing to him.

Randy turned to look and nodded. "Yeah, wonder what's up with him." He said as they walked over to his friend. "Hey Adam, you alright?"

Adam looked up and groaned. "No, I'm not. The hotel has no rooms left."

Randy frowned. "You didn't book a room beforehand?"

This caused Adam's eyes to glaze over in anger. "No, I did, but when I went into the room they gave me, some bitch was already in there. She acted like it was my fault we both got assigned the same room."

Chloe sent him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, that's terrible."

Adam nodded. "Yeah and now I'm trying to find a place to sleep. I've been calling some of the hotels in the area and they're all booked." He said dejectedly.

Chloe looked up at Randy before facing his friend again. "You can stay with Randy. He's got an extra bed and my friend's here anyway, I'll just go stay with her."

Adam looked at her. "You sure?"

She nodded. "No problem at all." She said with a smile as she looked up at Randy.

Randy was looking at her too. He was kinda mad because he wanted to sleep in the same bed with her but it was really sweet of her to offer that so his friend had a place to sleep. "Yeah sure man, it's no problem." He added.

Adam let out a breath and smiled. "Thanks man, I owe you one."

* * *

An hour later, Rachel was in the bathroom, wrapped in a towel after her shower. She was drying her hair when she heard someone knocking on the door. She turned off the hair dryer and walked over to the door, looking through the peep hole before opening it. "Hey Chlo, what's up?" She said, inviting her friend inside. "And why do you have your bags? Oh no," She said, thinking the worst. "You and Randy got into a fight?"

Chloe smiled at her friend and shook her head. "No, no, we're fine. But I was wondering if I could stay here with you."

Rach frowned but nodded. "Of course, though I am curious why." She said, walking back into the bathroom to resume drying her hair.

Chloe followed her in and sat on the edge of the bathtub. "I guess the hotel overbooked and one of Randy's friends was left without a room." She said loudly so her friend could hear her over the roar of the hair dyer. "I offered to let him use the other bed in Randy's room while I crash here."

Rachel turned off the hair dryer a second later before picking up her flat iron. "Man, that sucks."

"Yeah, so we need to be ready to leave in the next half hour so Randy can get to the arena ahead of time for the house show." Chloe said, standing up.

Rachel nodded. "No problem, I'll be done in no time." After another twenty minutes of fixing her hair and make up, Rachel put on the outfit she'd picked out before her shower. She had on a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, nude peep toe pumps and a khaki jacket that tied at the waist.

The girls walked down the hall to Randy's room so they could go to the arena together. "I think Randy's friend is coming with us too. You'll like him, he's very nice." Chloe said before they approached the room, knocking on the door.

Randy opened the door with a smile. "Hey you," He said as he leant down to kiss his girlfriend.

"Oh come on you two," Rachel said when the couple continued their kiss. "You saw each other less than an hour ago." Randy and Chloe broke apart and chuckled.

"Sorry," Chloe said before walking into the hotel room. "Hey Adam," She said when she saw the man sitting on the couch.

Rachel walked up behind Chloe and looked across the room. Her eyes darkened when she saw who was sitting there. "You!" She said bitterly.

Adam couldn't help but grin smugly at her reaction. "I see you still haven't taken that nap I suggested." He stood up placing his hands on his hips. He had to admit, he was quite surprised to see this was Chloe's best friend. On one hand, he didn't want to see this woman ever again. But on the other, he couldn't deny his attraction to her, he only wished she wouldn't be so uptight all the time.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "That's because I don't need one." She said before turning her attention to Chloe and Randy, who were standing next to each other looking very confused. "Can we leave now?"

Randy's eyes darted from Adam to Rachel. "You two…know each other?" He asked.

Rachel shot Adam a glare and he smiled sweetly at her, just to get on her nerves. "Ice princess over there is the one whose room I was accidentally assigned." Chloe's eyes widen at the realization. From the way Adam described it, Rachel had been a bitch. She only hoped they could just forget about it and not cause each other any trouble.

"Yeah, let's go." Chloe said to avoid anymore dialogue between Adam and Rachel.

**A/N: This is definitely not my best chapter but it sets things up nicely and I hope you enjoy it and I will try to update again this week. Thanks for your reviews! Oh, and don't worry, drama will be coming soon!**


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 29_

Immediately upon arriving at the arena, Rachel separated from Chloe, Randy and Adam simply because she didn't want to spend another minute with Adam. She couldn't help but admit he was so very attractive. He had that bad boy style and personality that she loved. But she hated that he had caught her at a bad time and wouldn't stop mocking her. She wanted to get to know him better but she hated being mocked and it just pissed her off even more! So right after they entered the arena, she'd spotted a bathroom and excused herself from the small group, promising Chloe she didn't have to stay behind with her and that Rachel would find her way to the locker room Randy was in where they would be waiting for her.

After going to the bathroom and spending a couple minutes analyzing her makeup in the mirror, she left. She had no idea where to go but she decided the best place to start would be to walk in the opposite direction from where she'd entered. She stayed close to the wall so she wouldn't get in the way of the crew that was running around. She couldn't believe her first day was Monday. She was excited but a little nervous. She couldn't imagine she would be able to navigate around each arena they visited. She watched a rather attractive man walk by in his wrestling gear and she had to take a deep breath once he was gone. She also couldn't believe that she was going to be working around half naked men all day. This job definitely had its perks.

She walked passed a door that had a white piece of paper taped to it that said 'CATERING'. She pushed open the door, relieved. She could definitely go for a cup of coffee. Plus, it allowed her to stall for time in hopes that by the time she found Randy and Chloe, Adam would be long gone. She poured herself a cup of coffee, took a sip. She let out a content sigh as she turned around to observe the room.

"Oh!" She squealed out in surprise when she turned around and accidentally spilled her coffee on a man that she didn't know was standing behind her. "Oh my god," She breathed out as she watched the dark coffee absorb into his shirt. "I am so sorry." She moved her eyes away from his chest. His very wide, muscular, blue dress shirt covered chest, she might add. She looked up at his face and she relaxed a little when she saw he was smiling amicably. "I'm so sorry." She repeated earnestly.

"I did want coffee, thought not on my shirt." He joked as he looked down at his wet shirt.

She cringed and turned around to grab napkins. She set her now empty cup on the table and turned back to him. "Let me see if I can get this out." She said as she started dabbing on his shirt with the napkins in a sad attempt to clean the stain.

His deep chuckle made her realize how close she was to him and made her very aware that she was essentially rubbing her hands on his chest. "It's okay, I have like ten of these shirts." He said, gently pulled her hands off him.

"Take it off." She ordered.

He wrinkled his brow. "What?"

She pointed to his shirt. "Take it off, I'll get it dry-cleaned. I'll pay for it and return it to you."

His tongue darted out and he licked his lips in amusement. "No need, really."

"You sure?" She asked unsure.

He nodded. "But can I get your name?"

She looked up at him alarmed. "Why? Are you going to sue me? Did I burn you? Let me see." She said before moving her hands up to his shirt and she undid the first couple buttons before his hands came to rest on hers.

He looked down at her, humor radiating in his eyes. "Are you always this jumpy?"

"Jumpy?" She asked, surprised. "I'm not jumpy!" What was it with these men accusing her of things she was not. First Adam claiming she had a bad attitude, now this guy telling her she was jumpy.

A smile stretched across his face. "I was wondering your name so I could get to know you."

"Oh." She said, suddenly feeling stupid. "Rachel Macguire."

"Nice to meet you Rachel, Stephen Farrelly." He introduced as he offered her his hand to shake.

"You too, thanks for being so understanding about this." She said gesturing to his shirt. "I'm not ususally so clumpsy and jumpy. I'm just feeling a bit jetleg and nervous. I've just been hired for a job here and I guess you could say I'm feeling pretty anxious." She explained, purposefully leaving out the part about Adam throwing her for a loop this afternoon, leaving her unable to get him off her mind, distracting her.

"Ah," He nodded in understanding. "So I'll be seeing you around more often?"

She nodded. "Hopefully, as long as I don't get fired on my first day." She joked.

"When's your first day?" He wondered aloud.

"Tomorrow."

He nodded. "You a diva?"

She smiled. "Oh you're sweet. No, no, you are looking at the newest member of the creative team."

He raised an eyebrow in pleasant surprise. "Impressive."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I haven't started yet. Who knows, I could suck."

He shook his head. "You'll be great." He heard someone call out his name and he turned to see who it was. "That's my opponent tonight, we have to talk about our match." He said when he turned back to her. "It was nice meeting you Rachel Macguire." He said, reaching his hand out to shake her hand again.

"You too," She said with a smile.

"Oh, and my ring name's Sheamus if you want to write me some good angles." He offered playfully.

"I'll see what I can do." She said before turning back to the table to fill her cup with coffee once more.

* * *

Jess sat at home, sitting on the couch watching The Marine while she ate ice cream. She hadn't intended to watch the movie but she had been flipping through the channels and she saw John's face flash across the screen and she couldn't help herself. She had been unable to get the man off her mind since they met. Her friends were right, she definitely had a big time crush on the man. The kind of crush where you're always thinking of them, always wondering if you will run into them somewhere so you make sure to look your best at all times, always hoping it was him when the phone rang. But she knew John was back on the road with his job and he did not have her phone number so neither of those cases were even possible. But she couldn't help but hope. There was just something about him that captivated her. He was so easygoing and easy to talk to. He wasn't hard on the eyes either. She was horrified with herself that she had told him all about Josh but he had been so sweet and offered her words of encouragement, telling her she didn't need a guy like that in her life. And she couldn't forget Chloe telling her that John seemed upset that someone could cheat on her. It was so caring and protective. She loved that feeling that someone was looking out for her. It was different to have a male express emotion about the cheating rather than her friends. She knew her friends were there for her and looking out for her. It was different when the attractive stranger that you had been flirting with all night expressed concern. It made her heart soar with excitement.

"Pull yourself together Jessica," She mumbled to herself. "You're not going to be seeing him anytime soon, he's probably already forgotten about you anyway." She watched John on screen as he ran. It was weird to think that she knew this man. And he was just as kind and gorgeous in person as she imagined. "Damn you," She scolded herself as her thoughts turned dirty. This is what happened when her friends were gone and she had nothing to entertain herself with other than movies of the man she recently formed a crush on.

* * *

"You think she got lost?" Chloe asked from her spot on the bench in Randy's locker room.

"Baby, relax. She's fine, she's probably expoloring the arena." Randy said.

"I don't know, it's pretty confusing here." Adam said.

"See!" Chloe said to Randy, who was busy glaring at Adam.

Adam shrugged. "And she's probably too damn stubborn to ask for directions." He paused before looking at the couple with a grin. "Oh well! If she doesn't turn up before the show's over I say we head back to the hotel and let her find her way back. Serves her right for being so stubborn to insist we leave her to go to the bathroom." He said bitterly.

"Adam." Randy warned.

Chloe put a hand on Randy's forearm. "Aw," She said sweetly to Adam. "Does someone have a crush?"

Adam's eyes widened. "What? On who?"

She cocked her head. "On Rachel. You're so bent out of shape about her."

"No, absolutely not." Adam said. "She's infuriating, no way do I have a crush on her."

She smiled as if she knew something he didn't. "Okay, if you say so."

"I do say so." Adam said, insulted that she would suggest he liked Rachel. Not if she was the last woman on earth.

* * *

**A/N: Love you guys and your absolutely amazing reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 30_

The next morning was spent traveling to the next city where Raw was going to be held tomorrow. Luckily for both Adam and Rachel, who didn't want to be near the other, Adam got a ride with a couple of the other guys while Randy, Chloe and Rachel drove together. Once they reached the next city and were settled into the hotel, the girls decided it was the perfect day for laying out by the pool, so that's where they headed, along with Randy and John.

"Ah, this is the life." Rachel said from her spot laying down on her lounge chair. She adjusted her black bikini top, undoing the straps so she didn't get any tan lines.

"I concur my friend." Chloe said as she reached her drink out to clink glasses with her friend. Chloe was wearing a floral bikini that she knew Randy couldn't take his eyes off of.

Rachel clinked her glass with Chloe's before slipping on her sunglasses and closing her eyes. She could fall asleep right here. So relaxed and warm. A minute later, she felt a shadow fall over her. Alarmed that the sun had suddenly gone down, she opened her eyes and saw Adam looking down at her with a smug smile.

"Good afternoon Rach," He said.

She frowned. "It's Rachel." She said, not wanting this annoying man to use her nickname.

"Right, right." He said before walking out of her view. She let out a sigh, hoping he was gone. Though a few seconds later, she heard the awful sound of a lounge chair legs scraping across the concrete. She turned her head to see Adam dragging a chair over so it sat next to hers.

"What are you doing?" She asked, hoping he wasn't going to stay there sitting next to her.

"Sitting down." He said as he stretched his body out.

"Right here?" She asked. "Why can't you sit over there?" She pointed to the chairs that were on the other side of the pool, far away from her.

"Because my friends are over here." He said, gesturing to Randy and John who were sitting on the other side of Chloe.

Rachel shook her head, giving up. "Fine," She let her head loll back onto the chair. "Just don't bug me."

"As you wish princess." He mocked.

She glared at him through her sunglasses. "I'm not a princess." She wished he would stop saying things like that.

He grinned at her, happy he'd successfully gotten under her skin. "Could've fooled me."

She groaned and sat up as she tied her top back behind her neck. "I'm going swimming." She tossed over her shoulder to Chloe. She walked down the steps into the pool slowly, allowing her body to get used to the slightly cold temperature. She swept her feet out from under her so the water went up to her shoulders as she slowly moved her arms so she moved backwards. She looked up at where she'd just been sitting and saw that Adam was now sitting on her chair as he talked to his friends and Chloe animatedly. He seemed so nice. She didn't understand why he was so friendly to everyone else but a complete dick to her. And what was up with calling her princess? Did she come off as a spoiled brat? She didn't think she did but why else would be mock her every chance he got?

Her feet shot out to find the bottom of the pool when her back hit something. When she realized she was in the deep end now and her feet couldn't reach the floor, she slowly started to slide down into the water. Her chin almost when under when an arm wrapped firmly around her waist and pulled her up and against a very solid chest. "I'm so sorry!" She said as she turned herself around in the strangers arms. "Oh," she said with a smile when she saw it was Stephen who was holding her. "Hey,"

He grinned. "We must stop meeting like this," He said as his hand absentmindedly stroked her side.

"Sorry," She said again. "Lots of things on my mind." She couldn't help but glance over at the person who had been on her mind. She was surprised to see Adam relaxing on her chair, staring right at her. She turned back around to face Stephen. "And thanks," She said gesturing to the arm that was holding her up. "I didn't realize it was so deep."

He shrugged, his arm tightening around her instinctively. "I couldn't let a pretty little thing like you drown. And before your first day of work at that."

She smiled. "I can swim you know,"

He winked. "Where's the fun in that?" He looked over her shoulder at where she'd been sitting. "You're friends with Adam?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ha! No, definitely not. Chloe's my best friend, she interns with creative."

He nodded. "Yeah, I've seen her around. She's dating Randy right?"

Rachel nodded. "She is."

He looked down at her and fingered a piece of hair that had fallen out of her bun. "You're hair's falling out."

She reached up to touch her hair. Indeed it was but for some reason she didn't care. She looked up at him as she just noticed his accent. "You Irish?"

He grinned. "What gave it away? The accent or the ridiculously pale skin and orange hair?" He said as he reached up to finger his spikes.

She smirked back. "All of the above." The stood there for a couple minutes- well he stood, she just bobbed in his arms- just looking at each other in silence. She felt herself blush at his intense stare. She reached up to touch her cheek. "I think I better go put some more sunscreen on," She tried to cover for her suddenly red face.

He nodded, though he didn't let go of her. "Am I going to run into you again Rachel Macguire?"

She loved how he said her full name. She grinned coyly. "Considering our history, it will probably be the other way around."

He chuckled. "Probably." He said before finally letting her go, making her use her arms and legs to stay afloat. "Well if I don't see you soon, good luck on your first day."

"Thanks," She said before turning around and swimming to the other side in the pool until her feet reached the pool floor and she could walk.  


* * *

  
Randy knew what Chloe was thinking when she turned to him with question in her eyes, turning away from the scene between Rachel and Stephen. "Relax," He said, putting his hand on hers. "Stephen's a good guy."

She pursed her lips but didn't say anything more as her friend walked up. "You two looked friendly." She said to Rachel, who blushed. Chloe raised a brow in surprise, Rach was not the blushing kind.

"Who Stephen?" Rach as nonchalantly as she laid down on her chair. "He's nice. I ran into him last night at the arena."

Chloe nodded. "You like him?"

"Chlo!" Rachel said with a laugh. "I just met the guy! I don't know anything about him."

"So," She said with a shrug. "Haven't you ever heard of love at first sight?"

"Whoa, now you're talking about love? I'm sorry do you know who I am?" Rachel asked, causing Chloe's shoulders to slump. She definitely knew Rachel. She was not the relationship kind. Though she had never vocalized it, Chloe suspected it was due to fear. A fear of love? A fear of commitment? She didn't know. All she knew was that whenever her friend got close to a guy that she really liked, she would suddenly lose interest and move on. She knew Rachel wanted to be in a relationship with a man that loved her but she just always backed out before anything serious could develop. "Randy, control your woman," Rachel joked.

Randy smiled and leaned over, pressing a kiss to his girlfriends lips. Chloe accepted it but rolled her eyes at her friend. "Fine, fine, I'll leave you alone. I was just curious."

"Chlo, you know me. If there's ever anything to tell, I'll tell you."

"You're right," Chloe said confidently as she closed her eyes to relax. "You're absolutely right."

"Drinks," John announced as he brought over four cups of beer for the group. Randy, Chloe and Rachel all accepted their drinks with a thanks.

Rach looked around after taking a swig of the beer. "Hey, where's Adam?" She asked, just noticing he was gone.

"Oh, he left when you were over there with Stephen," Chloe said. Rach didn't know why, but a little bit of disappointment spread through her.

"So uh," John said, taking a seat at the end of Rachel's chair. "Have you guys talked to Jessica recently?"

Rach looked over at Chloe with a grin. Seemed Jess may not be the only one with a crush. "Yeah, we talked to her on the drive over here."

He looked up. "How's she doing?" He played it off like it was a casual question though he was very curious. He had been thinking about her a lot.

"She's good considering what's she's gone through." Rach said.

"Yeah, she's just been going to work and watching movies at home this week." Chloe added.

"She misses us," Rach said with a smile, looking over at Chloe.

"Yeah, I wish there was some way we could get her to come out here."

"Have her take some time off work," Randy suggested as he comfortably ran his hand over Chloe's inner thigh.

"Ha!" Chloe snorted.

"That girl does not do days off." Rachel explained. "She has so many sick days she has not used. Not to mention vacation time. She's convinced if she misses one day she'll be fired."

"We'll just have to find some way to convince her otherwise." Chloe said with a light in her eyes. She got Rachel's attention and gestured to John.

"Yeah," Rachel said, catching on. "We'll need to make it worth her while."

Randy looked between the two, confused. "What are you two planning?"

Chloe smiled up at him. "Nothing you need to worry about." She said, leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips to get his mind off of their little plan.

* * *

**A/N: I'm so glad you guys like the last chapter! Hope you enjoy this one just as much.**


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 31_

Jessica walked into her apartment with a smile Monday afternoon. She'd decided to leave work early go do something for herself for the rest of the day. She'd already made an appointment with her favorite nail salon for a pedicure and manicure in an hour. Nothing relaxed a girl quite like getting pampered. She set her purse on the counter as she went through the mail she'd brought in. "Bill," She said as she tossed one envelope on the counter. "Another bill…another bill…oh what a surprise, another bill." She said before coming across an envelope addressed to Chloe from Emerald Elementary, the school she taught at. She scanned the envelope and saw that it had a stamp on it that said 'Important! Please read immediately'. Jess frowned as she searched through her purse for her phone. Once she located it, she looked through her contacts and pressed call when she found her friends name.

"Randy!" Chloe's voice echoed over the phone with a laugh. "Randy, stop! It's Jessica." She said, laughing one more time before speaking directly into the phone. "Jess? Hey, sorry, Randy was being stupid."

Jess smiled when she heard Randy yell in the back that he isn't stupid. It was good to see, or in this case hear, that things were going well between the new couple. "How's life on the road without me?"

"It sucks!" Chloe immediately said much to Jess's satisfaction. "I mean I'm working hard and enjoying it, and I do have Randy and Rach but I miss you! Rach and I both agree you need to come with us one week, we'd have so much more fun if you were here."

"I'll think about it. I've got work and stuff." Jess said and it was no surprise to Chloe.

"John asked about you," Chloe sang in a low voice so Randy wouldn't hear.

Jess perked up immediately. "Oh?"

Chloe grinned, knowing she had her friends attention. "Yeah, wanted to know if we heard from you and how you were doing. Real sweet."

"Oh," She said with a smile. "That's nice of him. Tell him I say hello."

"I definitely will do that."

"You will be very proud of me." Jess announced.

"Why's that?" Chloe asked.

"I skipped out on work early. I'm going to get my nails done as a reward for my hard work."

Chloe laughed. "That's great. See, you need to take time off more often."

"I know, I know. Baby steps." She agreed with her friend as she looked down at the envelope in her hand. "But hey, the reason I called is because I was looking through the mail we got today and there's something from the school for you."

"That's weird." Chloe said confused. The school usually just sends emails to the teachers. "It's probably just something about the school year starting in the fall. Want to open it and read it to me?"

"I don't know Chlo, it has a stamp on the front that says 'important! Please open immediately'." Jess said as she opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. "Ok, it says dear Ms. Ryan, It has been brought to our attention here at Emerald Elementary that you may have entered into an inappropriate relationship with a parent of one of our students." Both Jess and Chloe's mouths dropped open. "We received word from a concerned parent who would like to remain anonymous. We are aware that there are no written rules about fraternization with parents of students, however, Emerald Elementary and the school board need to take into consideration that one, and perhaps many, parents are not comfortable with this situation. The school board and school officials will be holding a meeting on Friday at 1pm to discuss the terms of your situation and whether or not this behavior is acceptable at Emerald Elementary. You are welcome to come to the meeting if you have any input you would like to contribute, if not, we will be in touch soon to go over the outcome of the meeting and whether or not your services will be needed for the 2011 school year." Jess paused and continued in a sullen voice. "Thank you and have a wonderful day. Sincerely, Emerald Elementary School Officials."

Chloe reached her hand out to catch herself when she felt her legs give out on her. She slowly sat down on the bed to process this information. "But…" She trailed off, unsure of what this all meant. "How? Who…Who would do this?"

"If you're not off that phone in two seconds, we will have problems." Randy called out from the bathroom. She didn't even notice him leave the room. Chloe heard the toilet flush and the door opened and Randy stepped out. He looked like he was about to make a joke but then he saw Chloe's face. "What's wrong?"

"Chloe?" Jess asked on the phone. "Are you ok? This is a lot to process." Those jerks, Jess thought to herself. She also wanted to know who would do this. Chloe was a good person. So she was dating a father of a student. Who the hell cared? She wasn't hurting anyone, she was living her life. "Chlo?" She asked again when she heard silence on the other end.

Chloe sniffed as Randy sat down next to her, his arm immediately wrapping around her shoulders. "Um, I'm fine. I'm going to call you later ok Jess?"

Jess nodded, knowing she needed to wrap her head around this. "No problem, call me if you need me."

After Chloe hung up the phone, she let her head drop on Randy's shoulder and the tears flowed. "Hey…hey," Randy said softly as he reached out to brush the tears away. "What happened? Why are you crying?"

She looked up at him and her frown deepened. "I knew something like this would happen."

"Something like what would happen?" He asked.

"I knew that just when I give into this and enjoy it, this would happen." She said, her tears still flowing but the anger increasing.

"Chloe, what happened?" He asked again.

She looked at him and took a deep breath. "I got a letter from my school. An anonymous parent told them that we were dating and now they are having a meeting on Monday to discuss whether or not they want me to come back for the school year." Damn, she thought, just saying those words pissed her off. She angrily wiped away her tears and stood up.

"What?" Randy asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I just don't get it." She said as she started pacing. "Who would tell them? Everyone that knows are our friends. I mean no way would Rachel and Jessica. And I mean no one here knows where I work. You just told Lindsey about us on Friday but she doesn't mind and she wouldn't tell the school." She said as she thought hard. She stood up straight and pointed a finger at Randy. "You just told Lindsey."

He nodded. "Yeah, so?" He asked. He as angry too. He couldn't believe the school was going to fire her because they were dating. Who the hell cared? He couldn't help but feel a bit guilty as well. She loved her job and he was the one to pressure her into a relationship even though she had her concerns. No, he thought to himself, he wouldn't feel guilty. No way would he ever regret getting together with Chloe.

"Well, I love Lindsey and all but I mean she talks."

Randy rubbed his head at the feeling of a headache coming on. "Chloe, you're confusing me. Lindsey's nine years old, of course she can talk."

She rolled her eyes. "Sam." She said slowly and continued when Randy still looked at her confused. "Lindsey probably mentioned it to Sam. Sam hated the idea of us together!" She said triumphantly. She knew it had to be Sam, it could be no other person. No other person that was aware of their relationship had a problem with it.

Randy immediately shook his head. "No. No, Chloe, I know Sam doesn't like our relationship but I've known her pretty much all my life and no way would she do such an underhanded thing."

She put her hands on her hips. "Randy! Who else could it be? It has to be her. I know you used to date and you have a daughter together and I think it's sweet that you're still protecting her, but you can't defend her on things she obviously guilty of."

Randy furrowed his brow. "She's obviously guilty? There's no evidence."

"Well, not yet, but you trust me right? I know she did it." Chloe almost pleaded with him to take her word for it.

"How could you possibly know that?" He wondered.

She shrugged. "Just call it woman's intuition."

Randy rolled his eyes. "You know, your persistence is something I love about you, but in this case, I wish you'd stop."

Chloe let out a frustrated breath. "You know," She said loudly. "I really wish you would stop saying that." She said angrily. She was too pissed off to even think about what she was doing. She was on a roll and in angry times, she got things off her chest.

"Say what?" He asked, standing up.

"That L word. You've been saying it for weeks!" She threw her hands up. "I love this about you," She said in a mock voice. "I love that about you", I really wish you would quit it."

Randy couldn't help but smile at her odd behavior. "I didn't even realize I said it."

"Well now you know. Please stop."

"Why?" He asked curiously.

"Why?" She repeated. "Because love is a big word. You shouldn't just throw it around like that."

He didn't want to say it for the first time when she was in this type of mood, not that he could blame her, but he wanted to prove her wrong. "Who says I'm just throwing it around?" He asked as he took a step closer.

Chloe's breath caught in her throat for a second before she put her hand up in a failed attempt to get him to stop advancing on her. "Randy, now don't say anything you don't mean."

He tilted his head to the side in mock confusion and gently reached a hand out to wrap around her waist and bring her closer. "What don't I mean?"

She tried to step out of his arms but he wouldn't let go. "You know, that…that word."

Randy moved both his hands to rest on her cheeks to make sure he had her full attention. "Chloe," He said in a quiet voice meant for only her to hear. "I love you. And I'm not saying it just to say it. I'm not saying something I don't mean. I mean it, I love you." Chloe froze, her eyes wide. She'd never had to deal with a man professing his love for her and she didn't know what to do. She knew without a doubt that she loved him too, but she was too much of a wimp to say it back. She didn't want to get hurt and somehow not telling him wouldn't hurt her as much.

"Randy," She said warily as she put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. "I wish you wouldn't have said that."

That was definitely not what he wanted to hear but it was what he expected, though that didn't mean he didn't feel a sharp stab to his chest at the rejection. "It's ok, I know you can't say it back." He held up his finger when he saw her start to speak. "Let me rephrase, I know you do love me but you just can't say it now for whatever reason. I know you love me, I only wish you could figure it out."

I do! She thought, I do know, she wanted to say. But she knew she wouldn't. "Randy…I, uh, I need to go help Rachel get ready." She said as she stepped aside. "I'll, uh, see you later." She said before bolting out of the room. Randy stood where she left him. He knew she would need more time but he had to tell her how he felt so she knew it was ok for her to love him back. But damn, he thought sadly, it sure as hell hurt.

* * *

**A/N: Uh-oh, trouble in paradise? Thanks for all your reviews! Hope you likes this chapter!**


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 32_

Rachel was standing in front of the bathroom mirror while putting on eyeliner when Chloe stormed into the room. Rachel paused as she heard her friend mumbling to herself. "Chloe….you ok?"

In a flash, Chloe was standing in doorway, her hands resting on either side of the doorjamb. "I messed up."

Rachel set her eye pencil on the vanity counter and turned to face her friend. "What happened?" She asked as she saw the tears glistening in her eyes, refusing to fall down her face.

She walked into the room, stopping to sit on the edge of the bathtub. "I messed up." She said again as she slouched and kept her eyes trained on her feet.

"Chlo," Rachel said gently as she sat down next to her, her hand softly stroking her back. "What happened? You said you messed up? What did you do?"

Chloe glanced up at her friend before looking down again. "Randy…he said he loved me. He said it was ok, that I didn't have to say anything back. And he told me that he knows I love him, I'm just not ready yet and he wishes I could see it."

Rachel sighed. "Oh Chlo, I'm sorry." They were both silent for a couple moments. "Do you love him?"

Chloe looked up and nodded. "I do, so much!"

Rach gave a little smile. "Then what's the problem? Go tell him."

She shook her head vehemently. "I can't. It's too soon! We're moving too fast. I don't want to get hurt."

Rach looked at her friend expectantly. "Kinda like you hurt Randy today? When you didn't say it back?"

Chloe's shoulders slouched further. "I told him not to, I could tell he was going to say it and I told him not to." She shook her head. "I didn't mean to hurt him but…I just am not ready to say it."

"Chloe, I hate to break this to you, but if things don't work out between you two, it's not going to hurt any less just because you didn't tell him how you really feel. Your heart knows the truth, whether you say it out loud or not." She said a bit sternly, trying to get her friend to understand. "Now think about that while you go get changed for work." She said giving her friend a pat on the back before she stood up and walked back over to the mirror to continue putting on her makeup.

* * *

"Dude," John said to Randy when they entered their locker room later that night. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Randy asked, though he had a feeling he knew what his friend was talking about.

John lifted an eyebrow at his friend. "That car ride. Not only did Chloe offer to sit in the backseat about twenty times, if she sat any closer to the car door she would have fallen out. Not to mention the fact that Rachel and I were the only ones talking. What's up man? Did you and Chloe have a fight?" He asked, looking at his friend.

Randy pursed his lips, unsure if he should tell John everything. But in the end, he was his best friend and he had to tell someone. "I told Chloe I loved her."

John cringed. "And I take it she didn't take it too well."

Randy rolled his eyes at the understatement. "Not only did she tell me that she wished I didn't say that, when I told her it was ok if she couldn't say it back, she left claiming she had to help Rachel get ready."

John clapped his hand on his friend's shoulder for comfort. "Sorry Rand, that's rough. It's tough being the first one to say it, you never know if they feel the same way."

Randy sat on the bench as he went through his bag. "That's the thing though, I know she does. I know she loves me. I don't know if she knows that she does or if she's just scared but she definitely does." He grabbed his t-shirt and paused. "But that's not even the worst of it. She found out that her school found out about us being together and now they aren't sure if she's going to come back for the school year."

"What?" John asked surprised. "Are you serious?"

Randy rubbed his hand over his face. "I wish I was. And Chlo thinks Sam's the one that tipped the school off."

"I could see her doing that." John added. "But obviously you disagree."

Randy shrugged. "I mean, I know Sam. I don't think she would do that, no matter how much she disagrees with my relationship with Chloe. But Chloe is my girlfriend, I'd like to back her up if that's what she thinks."

"It's a lose lose really. You need to just go to Sam and ask her." John suggested.

Randy nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking about that. I'll probably do that when I get home. I don't want to accuse her of something she didn't do but I'd feel like a dick if I didn't back Chloe up on this."

* * *

Rachel stood in a short hallway near the creative office, pacing. She had about ten minutes before they'd asked her to come in and she was psyching herself up. Chloe and her had walked to the room together but Rachel had claimed she needed to go to the bathroom at the last minute, though she really just wanted to shake away her nerves.

Once she felt she was ready to go to work, she turned down the hallway and walked to the room in her skinny jeans, black v-neck boyfriend tee and gray high heeled booties. She opened the door and looked around. She was instantly at ease. She thought that she'd walk in here and there would be paper flying and people running around. But it was actually neat and organized, though there was the intense, aggressive atmosphere she likes working in. She saw Chloe sitting next to a woman, waving her over.

"Rachel, this is Diana, she's in charge of the interns. Diana this is my best friend and WWE's newest employee, Rachel Macguire." She made the introductions with a smile though Rach knew that it was all for show. While the girls had been getting ready, Chloe had told her about the situation with her job and it was clearly effecting her, along with all this stuff going on with Randy.

"Nice to meet you," Rachel said, shaking Diana's hand.

Diana girnned back. "You too! I read some of your stuff and I am very excited to work with you."

Rachel lifted a brow in surprise and let out a nervous laugh. "You have no idea how good it is to hear you say that. I was worried no one would like my style."

"Oh no dear, those are just first day jitters. Come on, I'll show you around. Everyone's working pretty hard right now, so I'll make introductions to them later." She said standing up. "Chloe, finish writing up that email." Chloe nodded and turned to the computer to finish whatever she'd been working on before Rach walked in. "Ok so for today, we're going to have you observe and read a bit about what stories we have going on right now. Then tomorrow we'll do a little test run and hopefully by next week you'll actively have your own storyline to work on." Diana said as she showed her where everything was and showed her a bit how to use everything.

An hour and a half later, Chloe and Rachel walked into catering to get something to eat during their break. Rachel had been introduced to her coworkers after the show had started and they were all very nice and complimentary of her work. She was pretty relaxed now and was ready to get hands dirty and get to work tomorrow. "Oh hey, there's Adam." Chloe said to Rachel after they got their food. Rach rolled her eyes but followed her friend over to the table Adam was sitting out by himself. "Hey Adam, how are you?"

He smiled at the woman. "Chloe, I am doing good thank you, and yourself?" He asked, purposely not looking at Rachel, who he felt glaring at him.

"Good," She lied with a bright smile on her face. "Thank you."

Adam finally turned to Rach, who immediately looked down at her plate when he caught her stare. "And you Rachel, how are you doing today?"

She shrugged without looking at him. "Fine thanks,"

Adam rolled her eyes at her lack of response and resisted making a remark about her still needing a nap. He looked up at the door to see who as walking in and immediately frowned when he saw someone walking this way. "Your boyfriend's heading this way."

Chloe's head immediately snapped up in terror of Randy heading her way but relaxed when she didn't see him in sight. Rachel looked up and saw Adam looking right at her. Her? She didn't have a boyfriend. She turned to see who it was and saw Stephen a few feet away. "Hey Stephen," She said amicably. So Adam thought they were dating? Or did he say that just to get on her nerves?

"Hey," He said, squatting down so she didn't have to look up. "Hey Adam," He said when she saw who he was with.

"Oh," Rachel said and pointed to Chloe. "Stephen this is my best friend Chloe. Chloe, this is Stephen."

Stephen smiled as he reached across the table to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you."

She smiled back politely and couldn't help but notice Adam's deep frown out of the corner of her eye. "You too,"

He turned back to Rachel. "So how's the first day?" Adam cursed the Irish man. He was going to ask about her first day as well.

She let out a sigh with a smile. "It's actually very good. Today I'm an observer but with any luck I'll be writing very soon."

"Good to hear that," Stephen said with a twinkle in his eye. "I've gotta run but I wanted to check in with you." Adam rolled his eyes.

"Aw, that's really sweet, thank you." Rach said.

"See you later Rachel Macguire," He said standing up. "It was nice to meet you Chloe. Adam," He said the man's name with a nod.

Once Stephen was gone, Rachel looked up and saw both Adam and Chloe looking at her expectantly. "What?" She asked. Chloe had a smile on her face, but it was Adam's glare that had her more confused than anything.

Chloe elbowed her friend playfully. "I think he likes you,"

"No," Rachel said with a shake of her head. "No, we're just friends."

Adam rolled his eyes again. "I gotta go," He mumbled before standing up and leaving.

"What's his problem?" Rachel asked once he was gone. Chloe shrugged and they went back to eating their lunch. Chloe was on high alert if Randy came in and Rachel was wondering what was up with Adam.

* * *

**A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited and alerted this story, I'm so happy people like this story just as much as me!**


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 33_

The rest of the work week had been pure hell for Randy. Chloe had been able to successfully ignore him the rest of the day Monday and Tuesday as they both had to work. Even at the hotel, with her now sharing a room with Rachel, he'd barely seen her. Ever since he'd told her he loved her, she'd been ignoring him like the plague. He'd invited her for dinner Monday and Tuesday and both times she politely told him she needed to get some sleep. She had "not heard" her phone ring when he invited her to breakfast Tuesday, she'd "been in the shower" when he called to see if she was up for a walk around the city that same afternoon and she'd conveniently "already ate with Rachel" when he stopped by her room to see if she wanted to get some lunch before their flight left on Wednesday, and of course she couldn't stop and chat with him as she had to "finish packing". He knew better. He knew her. He knew when she was avoiding him. Her ring on her phone was at the highest possible volume; no way could she have missed it. She never showered in the afternoon, only in the morning and at night. She made a point of keeping her things in her suitcase each night, just in case she needed to quickly leave. The only excuse that she'd given him that was possible was the lunch with Rachel thing, though he knew it was untrue because he'd just seen Rachel in the elevator to meet one of her coworkers for lunch.

He wasn't stupid. He knew when he was being ignored. But he wouldn't say anything. She needed time to think and he'd give her that. But that didn't mean he was giving up. No way in hell.

The first thing he knew he had to do was find out if it really was Sam who told the school about their relationship. He knew that, though a majority of it was his confession, her uncertain job future was really weighing in her mind and she was upset about it. As she should be, especially if her suspicions about Sam being the "anonymous parent" was correct. So he decided, first thing tomorrow morning when Sam dropped off Lindsey at his place to spend the weekend with him, he was going to confront her about it. He could tell when Sam was lying by her lip biting and nose twitching, so he needed to do this in person. He didn't want to accuse Sam of something she didn't do but he knew he couldn't not support his girlfriend. He needed to find out so he could do what was right.

* * *

The minute after Chloe walked into her apartment Wednesday afternoon, she picked up her phone to call the principal of her school. She had taken a shine to Chloe the minute they had met and she knew Mrs. Turner would back her up if she could.

After her call was connected and the principal's secretary greeted her, Chloe waited patiently to be connected to who could be one of her only allies. "This is Principal Turner speaking,"

"Mrs. Turner…this is Chloe Ryan," She greeted urgently.

The elder woman let out a sigh on the other end. "Oh Chloe,"

Chloe squeezed her eyes shut at the disappointment in her tone. "How bad is it?"

"The board is taking this very seriously." She said in a stern voice. "I highly advise you to attend the meeting on Friday to give your side as that may be the only chance you have at teaching here this year."

Chloe let out a breath. "I'm definitely going to the meeting." She said, almost insulted that she would think anything different. "What I want to know is who told you."

"I'm afraid I can't disclose that information. The individual has asked to remain anonymous and I must respect that." Mrs. Turner answered.

"Please," Chloe said in a desperate whisper. "Just for my own peace of mind."

"Chloe," She said in a much nicer tone, obviously feeling for the young woman. "You know I would if I could." There was silence over the phone for a couple moments. "Oh Chloe, what were you thinking?"

Chloe couldn't resist rolling her eyes in annoyance. "I was thinking that I'd finally met someone I could spend the rest of my life with. I was thinking how nice it would be to have something to look forward to after a hard day of work besides more work. I was thinking about the life I could build with this wonderful man and how happy I would be." She confessed, though her tone was getting more angry by the second as she remembered her relationship could very well cost her her job. "I was thinking way too much about the fact that he was one of my students father's which caused me to hold back for far too long. I thought about the contract I signed when I received my dream job and the strict rules that came along with it. I thought and I thought and I thought and I realized no where in my contract or the rules were anything about this sort of thing. So I finally let go and I finally let myself feel something that I've never felt before for someone I never thought I could."

Mrs. Turner was silent the entire time Chloe spoke and only when she finished and exhaled deeply did she speak. "You love him." It wasn't a question.

"I sure as hell do and I'll be damned if I lose my job over finding love." Chloe said passionately.

On her end, Mrs. Turner smiled. "Good, I have to get going but do me a favor and say that at the meeting on Friday." She said before hanging up.

Chloe slammed her phone down on the coffee table and let out a long breath of confidence. She looked up when she saw Jessica make herself known, it was obvious the woman had been listening to her conversation.

"So you do love him," Jess said with a wide smile. After picking up Rachel and Chloe at the airport, they'd said they caught an earlier flight than Randy did, so she knew something was wrong. After dropping Rachel off at her place and pulling into the parking lot of their apartment complex, it was clear Chloe was itching to do something so Jess offered to bring her luggage up so she could do what she needed to. She'd come inside just in time to hear the last half of her conversation.

"I do." Chloe said, with not a slight waver in her voice.

"And you've told him this?" She asked knowing the answer.

Chloe cocked an eyebrow with attitude. "What do you think?"

Jess chuckled and sat down next to her friend. "I think no."

"Ding, ding, ding." She said sarcastically. Her shoulders slumped and she let out a strangled breath. "Sorry, I'm being a bitch." Jess just shrugged, not taking it personally. "I messed things up with Randy. He told me he loved me. I told him he shouldn't have said that." She said, ignoring the gasp Jess let out. "I left and have barely spoken to him since Monday after you called." She summed it up.

Jess nodded. "And you're going to fix things." She stated.

"I have to," Chloe agreed. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll go over to his house and talk to him."

"Good." Jess said simply. "And I'm sorry about your job."

Chloe rolled her eyes, really getting sick of hearing about that. "I'll fix that too."

"You better," Jess joked. "If you don't come back next year, those poor kids are going to be stuck with the boring, hundred year old teachers."

Chloe cracked a smile. "They will miss me won't they."

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't be surprised if they had a strike!" Jess joked to make her friend feel better. She was exaggerating a little but there was no doubt in her mind that the kids really would miss her.

Chloe looked at her friend and smiled. "Thanks." It really helped to have a friend who could cheer her up. "Oh, I got you something." She said, her eyes lit up.

Jess raised an eyebrow as she watched her friend reach for her purse and dig around in it. She knew that look. She was up to something. "You're not gonna, like, make a move on me are you?" She said her friend look up at her with amusement. "Cause I mean I like you and all but I'm way more into men." Jess cracked a grin to show she was just messing with her.

Chloe rolled her eyes and held out her hand. "I think you'll find this quite useful." Jess looked at her friends hand. It didn't look like she was holding anything. That was until she turned her hand over so her palm was facing up and she saw a small ripped piece of paper folded in half. She tentatively reached out to grab it. "Oh come on, it's not going to kill you just take it."

Jess did and once it was in her hands, she slowly unfolded it, keeping her eyes on Chloe. She saw Chloe's face light up as she looked down at the piece of paper. Jess followed her eyes and felt a variety of emotions. She wanted to punch Chloe, she wanted to throw the paper away, she wanted to put it in her keepsake shoebox like she would have done when she was little. But most of all, she wanted to put it to good use. She wanted to pick up the phone and give John call now that she had his number. She looked up at Chloe and beamed before embracing her friend in a tight hug.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all your wonderful reviews! You guys are amazing!**


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 34_

The next morning, Randy sat on his couch, idly flipping through the channels on TV as he waited for Sam and Lindsey to show up. He was nervous. He didn't know how this conversation would go, but he knew it was something he had to do. If not for himself, then for Chloe.

Chloe. He let out a sigh just at the thought of her and he ran a hand through his hair. He'd tried calling her numerous times since his plane landed yesterday. After he'd asked Chloe to go to lunch with him yesterday and she easily denied him, he'd gone on a long walk to absorb things. His girlfriend was doing whatever she could to avoid being with him. Not only was his heart taking a beating but his ego was too. She was going through all this trouble because he'd told her he loved her. No way did he ever think he'd be in this position. He was usually the one in her shoes.

After his walk, he'd gotten word that Chloe had left him a message with the front desk. When he got there, he accepted the note and read it silently. All it said was "Randy, Rach and I had to catch an earlier flight. Jess needs us. Sorry." That's it, not even a signature at the end. He crumpled up the note and threw it behind the desk as he made his way to his hotel room. He wasn't stupid. He knew Jess was fine. This was just a way for Chloe to take the easy way out and not have to spend hours sitting next to him on a plane.

His thoughts were interrupted however when his doorbell chimed through his house. He jumped up immediately, knowing who it was.

"Dad!" Linds shouted once he opened the door. He laughed as she threw herself at him. He crouched down to wrap his arms around her. "I missed you." She mumbled into his shoulder.

"Aw, I missed you too baby." He said as he affectionately ran his hands down her hair.

"Alright I'm going to get going. Linds you be good for dad." Sam said, bringing Randy back to reality.

"Wait," Randy said causing Sam to raise an eyebrow at him. He set Linds down and kissed her forehead. "Why don't you go upstairs and unpack, I need to speak with mom."

Linds nodded and grabbed her suitcase, clunking it all the way up the stairs. Once he heard her bedroom door close, Randy turned to Sam and nodded his head toward the living room, gesturing for her to follow him.

"What's this about Randy?" Sam asked as she sat down next to him on the couch.

He looked at her intently as he spoke to gauge her reaction. "Chloe received an interesting letter in the mail recently."

"Oh?" Sam asked innocently.

"Mm hmm, apparently someone told the school about our relationship and now the school board isn't so sure she should be allowed to come back to teach this year." He explained with an intense expression on his face. Much like the one he uses in the ring while speaking to an opponent.

"Why are you telling me this Randy?" She asked as she looked away from him. There it was, Randy thought, she's biting her lip.

Now he was mad. She did have something to do with it. "You wouldn't happen to know who this 'anonymous' parent could be, would you?" He raised a brow at her, daring her to lie to him.

She acted upset and betrayed. "What? You think I had something to do with it?" There it was, Randy thought again, her nose twitch.

He shook his head in anger that now he knew for sure. "I didn't. I know you have your faults but I didn't think you would ever do something like this. It was Chloe that suggested maybe you did this." He paused. "She's right isn't she?"

Sam was silent for a moment before she sat up straighter and pasted an unaffected look on her face. "I was supposed to remain anonymous but yes, I was concerned." She spoke up again before he could interject. "And you weren't listening to me! I told you it would effect Lindsey and this was the one person I wanted you to stay away from. If you could have just respected my wishes, I wouldn't have had to do this!" She exclaimed throwing her hands up, as if she had no other choice.

Randy shook his head in disgust. "Lindsey is fine. I discussed it with her and she couldn't have been more happy." He looked at Sam and watering eyes and it all clicked. "That's it, isn't it? You don't want Lindsey to like her."

She inhaled and wiped away at her eyes. "That's part of it. It's a real shitty feeling to realize that your daughter likes her dad's new girlfriend more than she likes you."

Through his anger, Randy's heart squeezed. "Oh Sam," He said softly as he reached a hand out to touch hers. "Linds loves you so much."

"That may be true but she talks about you two all the time. About how much fun you have and how 'cool' Chloe is." Sam said, taking advantage of Randy's hand on hers as she tightened her grip.

"That doesn't mean she likes Chloe more than you. Linds talks about you all the time over here!" Randy said truthfully.

Sam shrugged, liking this attention she was getting. "Yeah but we don't have fun like the three of you do."

"Well, why don't you try taking her places, you can do fun things with her too." Randy hated that this conversation got turned around he was now the bad guy, but he didn't want Sam feeling like an inadequate mother.

She rolled her eyes. "I don't have the luxury of being able to spend every minute of my time with her. I have to actually work when she's with at home with me."

Randy nodded sympathetically. It's true. He was lucky. When it was his turn to take Lindsey, he had every minute of every day to spend with her. "You're right, but you do have the weekends." He saw her about to say something so he jumped in. "Listen, Sam, I'm not trying to tell you how to be a mother, I'm just giving you suggestions if you don't think you spend enough time together. And you have to know that Linds loves you and would never want you to feel like she doesn't."

Sam nodded, deciding to jus take his word for it. There was other things she wanted to talk about anyway. She looked Randy in the eye and leaned a bit closer. "Randy," She said as she glanced down at their entwined hands. "do you ever think we gave up on our relationship too easy?"

Randy's brow shot up in surprise. "Uh, no, I think we did the right thing."

Sam bit her lip in what she was hoping looked seductive. "I miss you, a lot." She said before reaching her free hand out the run down his cheek.

"Sam," He said nervously. "What are you doing?" He reached out to pull her hand away from his face.

She scooted closer and moved the hand from his cheek to his thigh. She grinned as she felt his muscles jump underneath her touch. "I just think we owe it to ourselves, and Linds, to give things another shot." She lowered her voice and looked at him through her lashes. "We were so good together."

Randy gulped. This conversation had definitely taken a turn. "What are you saying?"

She gave a low chuckle and wrapped her hand around his neck. "I say we give us another go." She practically whispered as she brought his head closer to hers.

"Sam, no," Randy said, putting a hand on her shoulder to push her away. "I'm with Chloe."

She gave a grin. "Not right now. Right now you're here with me." She paused. "I know we had our issues but what would it hurt to try again?"

"Sam, you and I both know that's not going to happen. We just don't get along." He made a move to stand up but before he could, Sam was up and straddling his waist, sitting on his lap so he essentially had to sit back down.

She smirked. "You're wrong, we could make this work." She said before lowering her lips to his. The kiss was a hungry one on Sam's part.

Randy's eyes were wide open in surprise as she kissed him. It was like she was trying to eat his mouth. He didn't remember her ever kissing like this but if she did, he couldn't imagine why they had stayed together. Her kiss was sloppy and definitely not what he wanted.

The only thing that got Sam to stop was the sound of something dropping to the floor. Randy and Sam both jerked their head toward the sound. Someone was standing their with two full grocery bags at their feet, obviously that was what Randy had to thank for getting Sam to break the kiss.

Chloe.

Randy went pale as he saw Chloe standing there. "No," He said aloud. This couldn't be happening. His ex had just forced herself on him and Chloe had walked in. "Chloe," he said softly as he carelessly pushed Sam off him so he could stand up.

Chloe looked near tears as she watched Randy walk toward her. "Randy?" She asked, as if asking if it was really him.

Randy's felt his like someone had just punched him in the stomach. He would expect and understand if Chloe was mad, but she wasn't. She looked sad, hurt and, dare he say, heartbroken. "No," He said with a shake of his head as he reached out to touch her. She jerked away. "No, Chloe, this is not what it looks like."

She didn't even make a move to wipe her tears away that were now falling freely down her face. "I came to make you breakfast and apologize." She said as she looked down at the bags on the floor.

"Chlo, just let me-" He was cut off by a harsh slap knocking his head to the side.

Chloe was practically hysterical now. "Don't you dare call me that you bastard." She said in a fierce, yet distressed tone. She took one last glance at Sam, who was sitting on the couch smiling at her smugly, and Randy who looked at her with sad eyes. "How could you do this to me?" She asked Randy in a small voice. She shook her head, not giving him the chance to respond, before she dashed towards the door, not even bothering to close it behind her as she slid into her car and sped away.

Randy slid his tongue over his teeth in anger as he slowly turned to look at Sam, who though she'd been smiling just seconds before behind Randy's back, now looked at him as if she felt bad. "What the hell is your problem?" He boomed.

Sam jumped a little at the tone. "It wasn't my intention for her to walk in," She said. "but I did you a favor. Now you don't have to worry about her and we can start over."

Randy took a couple deep breaths to calm himself. "You don't get it Sam," He said in a menacing tone. "We will never be able to start over. We will never be together ever again."

"Why not?" She questioned, standing up.

"Because I don't want you." He said in angered honesty. "I do not love you. I do not ever want to be with you ever again."

She gulped. "We have a history." She stated. "But we can get over it."

He shook his head. "No, no we can't. I don't want to be with you. I love Chloe. I want to be with Chloe. I want to marry Chloe and never be with any other woman ever again."

"You…you love her?" She asked in a small voice. "You didn't tell me that."

"Why would I?" He asked angrily. "It's none of your business and you had no fucking right shoving your tongue down my throat!"

She felt bad now. Now that she knew his feelings for her went that deep. "I…I'm sorry Randy."

He shook his head. "Get the fuck out of my house Sam." He said before turning his back and walking into the garage that held his gym equipment. He needed to work off this anger.

* * *

**A/N: AHH, more drama! haha, hope you guys liked this chapter!**


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 35_

Randy spent the next ten minutes pacing all over his house, he was so mad he couldn't even work out, as he digested what exactly just happened. Sam came over, he confronted her about Chloe's job, Sam admitted to it, Sam proceeded to make a move on Randy and Chloe walked in and saw the whole thing. That about covers it. "Dammit," Randy mumbled to himself before he tripped over the bags that were sitting on the floor. The bags Chloe dropped when she saw Randy and Sam. Randy grabbed the bags and brought them into his kitchen. He didn't unpack them because he felt like shit doing that to her and then taking the groceries she brought for them to share. He glanced in though to see what she got. Pancake mix, strawberries, bacon and some other goodies. He hung his head in shame. She had come over to apologize and instead walked into him making out with his ex wife. It doesn't matter that Sam forced herself on him and he didn't return the kiss, all Chloe saw was Sam sitting on his lap kissing him. He couldn't blame her. It looked pretty bad.

"Daddy?" He heard and looked up. He tried to offer Lindsey a smile but he couldn't.

"Hey," He said before swinging her up into his arms. He carried her over to the couch and sat on it with her in his lap.

"Daddy, are you ok?" She asked in a concerned voice.

"I'm fine baby, why?" He lied.

"I heard you yelling. Are you mad at me?" Linds asked.

Randy's heart broke. He didn't even think about Linds being in the house when he flipped out on Sam. "Oh no baby, I'm sorry I did that. I'm not mad at you. There was just a...misunderstanding."

She nodded and leaned into her dad's embrace and rested her head on his shoulder. "Want to talk about it? You always say the best way to move on from something is to talk about it." She reminded him and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Mommy did something that hurt Chloe's feelings and we made a mistake and Chloe's upset with me." He gave her the shortened rated G version.

She looked up at her dad. "Was it because mom called the school?"

He raised a brow at her. "How do you know about it?"

"I told mommy about you and Chloe being boyfriend and girlfriend and she got really angry. She told me to go to my room but I heard her talking on the phone and she was saying she was so mad at you and she was going to get you back and call the school so Chloe gets fired." She frowned up at her dad. "Why is Chloe getting fired?"

Randy let out a sigh. "Linds, the school thinks the relationship I have with Chloe is inappropriate and she might not come back to school next year." He didn't want to have to tell Linds about this but he didn't want to lie to her.

"Why?" She asked in true third grader form.

He shrugged. "I don't know," He said honestly.

She accepted his answer and laid her head on his shoulder again. They were both silent for a minute before Lindsey spoke again. "Why did mommy do that if Chloe was going to get fired?"

Again, he didn't want to lie but he also didn't want to throw Sam under the bus. He thought about it before giving her an answer. "Your mom doesn't know Chloe that well and she was concerned about you being around her."

"But she was my teacher. That doesn't make sense." She said and Randy just shrugged because she was right, it didn't make any sense.  


* * *

  
Adam lazily brought his bottle of beer to his lips as he idly flipped through the channels on TV. He would like to say that he was enjoying his days off and time at home with his dog, Buster, but he wasn't enjoying his days off. And there was only one reason for that. Rachel Macguire. In all actuality, he couldn't wait to go back on the road and see the woman. There was just something about her he liked. He would never admit because he was having too much fun pissing her off, but he definitely liked her. And that worried him. He had had his fun with woman in the past and he was supposed be strictly focusing on his career now. He was captivated by her beautiful, long locks of hair, her great big blue eyes and her long legs that seemed to go on forever.

He groaned as his thoughts turned dirty and he began to wonder just what he would find if he ran his hands up her smooth, long legs. "Damn Buster, this one is trouble." He said to his dog before taking a gulp of his beer with one hand and using the other to scratch the pet behind his ears. He thought of the last time he had seen the woman. In the cafeteria on Monday night. As much as he enjoyed teasing her, it was obvious she didn't appreciate it because she barely spoke to him. He had been insanely jealous when Stephen had come up to the table and Rachel had immediately smiled and warmed up to the man. What was so special about the big man? He didn't have any sort of problem with the guy and he had an immense amount of talent in the business but it was clear to Adam that he was developing some sort of feelings for Rachel and he didn't want Stephen to get in the way.

Adam turned to looked down at his dog sitting next to him on the couch when he let out a loud groan and rolled over to lay on his back. "Buster, it's so obvious why you never have lady friends over. Never show the goods so lewdly." Adam said as he grabbed a throw pillow to cover the dogs exposed private parts.

About twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Buster immediately jumped up barking loudly. "Alright, alright!" Adam yelled more at the dog than whoever was at his door. After opening the door and seeing John standing there, the two embraced in a man handshake-hug. "Hey man, what's up?" Adam asked his friend as he led them into the living room, where he'd just been sitting. Because John and Adam, and many of there other coworkers, lived in the Tampa area, it was not unusual for them to just show up at each others houses without any notice.

"Hey Buster," John said to the dog as he walked into the living room after making a pit stop in the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. "What are you watching man?" John asked alarmed.

"What? There is nothing else on." Adam said defensively to the shop at home network currently screening on his living room TV.

John laughed and shook his head, taking a sip of his water. Both men were silent for a few minutes as they watched the TV host demonstrate how to work a vacuum. "That's actually kind of cool. I could use one of those." Adam just grunted in response. "I came here to get my mind off things and just sitting here isn't helping." John said as he leaned down to pet the dog.

Adam lowered the volume and turned to his friend. "What's up?"

John let out a sigh and rubbed a hand over his face. "Have you met Chloe's friend Jessica?" Adam shook his head. He'd heard of her but never met her. "Well I met her last week when I went to stay with Randy while my kitchen was getting remodeled. And I haven't been able to stop thinking about her since."

Adam nodded in understanding. That is exactly what was happening with him and his thoughts that were constantly on Rachel. "So you like her?"

John shrugged. "I don't know, I mean I do, but I don't know her at all."

"So get to know her." Adam told him easily.

"When?" John shot back.

Adam shrugged his shoulders. "That's for you to figure out."

John rolled his eyes. "Wow, that was a lot of help, thanks."

Adam laughed and turned the volume back up on the TV. "That's what I'm here for."

"Well what about you, got a new girl?" John asked as his eyes trained back on the TV.

Adam hesitated. He wasn't quite ready to tell his friend of his little crush on Rachel. Especially if she had a thing going with Stephen, that would just embarrass him and his friends would pity him and he didn't need that. "No, I'm enjoying the single life."

* * *

**A/N: What a liar! haha. Love your amazing reviews, thanks so much!**


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 36_

After leaving Randy's house in a rush, Chloe immediately went straight to her room where she cried face-down on her bed for hours. Jess had come in to see what the problem was and after she told her through the sobs, Jess had left the woman to be alone and called Rachel. Rachel was there in record time, along with two grocery bags full of ice cream.

"I wasn't sure what Ben and Jerry's flavor you wanted so I got them all." Rach said, causing Chloe to crack her first smile all day. Jess and Rach joined on her bed as they all dug into their ice cream and watched chick flicks.

After the fourth movie, Chloe forced herself to get up and get in the shower and put in an effort to make sure she didn't look like she'd been sobbing her eyes out all day. She slipped on a pair jeans and an old college sweatshirt and threw her hair into a ponytail before heading out the door to go to her parents house for their weekly dinner together.

She pulled up in front of their house and sat in her car for a couple seconds, trying to get herself to put on a smiling face so her parents didn't suspect she was upset. If she did, they would automatically assume it was Randy's fault, which it was, and demand she quit her new internship, which she had no intention of doing. So she pulled herself out of her car and put on the best act of her life as she pretended not to have a care in the world.

"How's your internship?" Her mom asked with a smile as the small family sat down at the table.

Chloe beamed. "It's so great. The people are extremely nice and Diana, the woman who is showing me the ropes, is really helpful."

Her dad smiled and patted her hand. "That's great dear. Your mother and I were a little worried about it at first, but hearing about how much your learning, it's a really great experience. I'm glad you decided to do it."

Chloe felt a big sigh of relief leave her lips. It was great to hear that her parents accepted her decisions. "Thanks dad,"

After dinner, Chloe headed home and couldn't wait to snuggle under her covers and put this day behind her.

* * *

After Randy put Lindsey to bed, he sat on the couch contemplating what to do. He felt like he needed to call Chloe and explain but he knew she wouldn't speak to him. But he knew he had to at least tell her that Sam was the one behind the school knowing about them. Chloe obviously had her suspicions about Sam being the one, but he had to tell her that they weren't just suspicions any more, it was fact. Her meeting was tomorrow, so he figured no matter what she had to know the truth. If she didn't pick up her cell, then he'd call her house and ask Jess to deliver the message.

With nervous fingers, he scrolled through his phone to Chloe's number and pressed send. He waited and waited for her to pick up. After the third ring he thought for sure she wasn't going to answer. Just as he was about to hang up and call her home phone, she picked up. "Hello?" She greeted with obvious trepidation.

He closed his eyes at the sound of her voice. "Chlo," On the other end, Chloe bit her lip but said nothing. He sighed when she stayed silent. "Listen, I really want to explain,"

"Randy, I really don't want to speak to you." She said.

"Ok. I understand you need some time and I will give that to you." He said then paused. "But there is something I need to tell you. About Sam."

Her eyes darkened at the name. "What about her?" She spat.

"After she dropped off Linds this morning, I asked her if she was the one that notified the school about us." He paused and her thoughts ran wild. "Chloe I'm really sorry I even stood up for her. You're right, she did it, she admitted it."

Chloe sneered. "So you celebrated her admission by making out with her?" She asked angrily.

"What?" Randy asked, surprised, not expecting that reaction. "No Chloe, no, that is not it at all."

She rolled her eyes. "Save it. I'm not ready to talk about this."

"Ok but you need to know it wasn't like that ok?" He said and waited for a response though there was none. "Listen Chlo, I'm sorry this happened to you, you didn't deserve it. I just wanted to let you know so you would know for sure that Sam was responsible for this during your meeting tomorrow. You deserve to know."

Chloe took a deep breath before replying. "Ok." She said simply before hanging up. He'd made out with another woman, no way was he worth a 'thanks' or even a 'bye'. She was definitely not in the mood to speak to him. She did, however, appreciate him letting her know about Sam. She was going to have to deal with that.

* * *

Jessica was sitting in her bed with her phone in one hand and John's number in the other. She was trying to figure out if she should call him. She really wanted to but she wasn't feeling very confident. Would he remember her? If he did remember, would he talk to her? Maybe he had just been nice to her because she was Chloe's friend.

She shook her head. That was nonsense. She quickly dialed the number and put her phone to her ear. After the third ring she thought, maybe he won't answer the ph-.

"Hello?" He greeted in the middle of her inner rant.

She froze. She wasn't actually expecting him to answer. She was hoping she would get his voicemail then she'd leave a nice message and the ball would be in his court. He could call back if he wanted and then she would know if he wanted to speak to her or not.

"Hello?" He said again.

"Uh, hi," Her voice croaked. She cleared her throat. "It's Jessica," She said and then added, "Chloe's friend?"

He chuckled a little. "I remember you Jess."

She resisted doing a happy dance. "I just figured you know with all the people you meet daily…"

"You're not just anybody." He said with a smirk. "So how have you been?"

She laid down on her bed and relaxed. "I've been good. I've mostly been working a lot this week but I've also had some time to think and I'm completely over that jerk what's-his-face." She said, for some reason feeling it necessary to let him know she wasn't hung up on her ex.

"That's great. Have you heard from him?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah, he's tried calling a couple times but I told him I didn't want to speak to him. I'm ready to move on." She said with a laugh. It was nice talking to someone about the things going on in her life besides Rach and Chloe.

He smiled. Good to know, he thought. "That's great," He repeated. "Sounds like this week has been good for you."

She nodded. "Hey, John, I just wanted to thank you and apologize for how I acted last weekend. I feel terrible; you didn't come here to listen to my problems."

"Hey," He protested. "Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on every once in a while."

"I cried?" She asked horrified. She didn't remember crying.

He laughed. It sent a chill down her spine. She could only imagine what that laugh would do to her in person. "No, it's a figure of speech. If you ever need to talk to someone, you got my number." He paused. "Which by the way, how did you get?" He was curious.

"Chloe gave it to me," She said and thought it over. "Is that ok?"

He grinned. "Absolutely. I kinda wished I had given it to you last week." Her heart flipped. "I'm not surprise Chloe took action on that."

Jess laughed. "That's Chloe. Anyway, thanks again for listening to me rant. I owe you,"

John's eyes lit up. "How about next time I'm in town you take me out," He suggested nonchalantly though inside his heart was beating like crazy in anticipation of her response.

She held her breath for a second, wondering if he had really just said that. "Yeah, absolutely."

"Great. So tell me about yourself," He said as he recline in his chair.

"Me?" She asked stupidly. Obviously her, who else?

He chuckled. "Yeah, I mean we're going to be friends, we might as well get to know each other. Unless, you need to get off the phone?"

She smiled. "No, I've got nowhere to be. Ok, let's see, where do I begin…" She trailed off before launching into her life story.


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 37_

Jess woke up the next morning tired as hell but it didn't even phase her as she had a huge smile on her face. She thought of last night and her phone call with John. They ended up talking until three in the morning and Jess could have talked much longer if John didn't suggest they both get some sleep and talk tomorrow. As she was getting dressed for work, she let out a low giggle of anticipation as she thought of their impending phone call later today.

Once she was dressed she walked out of her room to make herself something to eat. "Hey," She said when she saw Chloe sitting on the barstool at the counter in her pajamas, with a highlighter in hand as she read from a bunch of papers spread out in front of her. "You're up early."

Chloe glanced up and offered a small smile before looking back down. "Just want to be prepared for my meeting." She said as she took a sip from her coffee mug.

"Oh that's right, that's today." Jess said and instantly felt bad for her friend. Just yesterday she saw her boyfriend cheat on her and now she was one meeting away from losing her job.

Chloe nodded. "Yeah, I found something interesting. Listen to this," She said as she flipped through a little booklet of papers to find what she was looking for. "This is the Guidelines and Rule Book for Teachers of Emerald Elementary." She explained as she gestured to the small book. "So listen to this," She repeated as Jess glanced down at the book and saw quite a few yellow highlight marks; her friends finger under one of them as she read. "Teachers have a right to privacy and private matters must not effect one's job," She paused and jumped to another sentence on the page. "Teachers cannot be hired or fired based on personal relations that positively or negatively effect one's performance without reasonable cause."

Jess smiled as she saw Chloe look up at her with a small look of hope present in her eyes. "That's great! Good thing you're going through that,"

She nodded. "We'll see though. I have this strange feeling that the boards minds are already made up and no matter what I say, it's not going to change their minds."

"Hey, think positive. In my opinion, they just want to be in control and shake you up a bit. I doubt they're going to fire you for such a stupid reason." Jess said as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

Chloe shrugged. "Yeah, well I hope so. Just in case, I've filled out these puppies." She said as she held up a small pile of papers.

Jess frowned and grabbed the papers from her friends hand. "What's this?" She asked as she glanced through the papers. "Wait." She paused and looked at her friend. "Are these applications?"

Chloe nodded. "Yeah, just to some of the elementary schools in the area that are hiring. I know you think I'm not going to get fired but I have to be realistic about this. There's a fifty fifty chance I will be out of a job after today and I can't afford to not have a job this year. If I send these out today, they'll get them in time to look them over and see if they want me before the school year starts."

Jess nodded sadly at her friend. It broke her heart to see her going through this. "Alright, well I better get to work. Good luck at your meeting, I'll see you tonight."

* * *

Adam didn't know what he was doing here. All he remembered was Randy calling him last night, telling him about what happened with Sam and Chloe and the next thing he knew he was leaving the St. Louis airport heading toward Randy's house. He ran a hand over his face as he sat in the back of the cab, watching the scenery go by. Randy had originally suggested he come down to Tampa to see him so he could get out of St. Louis but Adam knew his friends time with Lindsey was precious and didn't want him leaving her before he needed to. They were flying out for work tomorrow so it wasn't that big a deal for him to leave a day early. It's not like he really has anything waiting for him in Tampa anyway.

Even though he was here for his friend, he couldn't help but wonder if every car that passed his held Rachel Macguire. He didn't know what it was about this girl but he couldn't get her off his mind. He had a feeling he would be searching for where she lived while he was here and pay her a visit.

He paid the driver once the cab pulled up in front of Randy's place and carried his bag up the walkway to the front door. He knocked a couple of times and waited patiently. The door flung open and he saw Linds holding the door open, with Randy standing behind her. "Uncle Adam!" She yelled before launching herself at the man.

He laughed as he pulled her into his arms and spun her around. "Hey munchkin," He said before setting her back down on the ground.

She put her hands on her hips. "I'm not a munchkin!" She protested. "I've grown a whole three inches since last time you were here." She said and held up three fingers to prove her point.

He raised an amused eyebrow. "Is that so? Ok, you win. You've moved up from a munchkin to tiny." She looked at her dad and threw her hands up as if she her life was so hard. Randy laughed and watched her run upstairs to her room before he turned to his friend.

"Thanks for coming man," Randy said as he offered his friend a hand to shake.

Adam smiled. "No problem." He reached into the plastic bag he was carrying and pulled out a six pack of beer. "Thought you might need this."

Randy laughed and accepted the alcohol. "Thanks," He said as he led the way into the living room.

"Alright so tell Uncle Adam the problem." He said as he reclined on the couch, propping his feet on the coffee table in front of them.

"I already told you." Randy said as he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he clasped his hands. "Damn man, she won't even talk to me. I called last night and she didn't want to hear it, though I was able to tell her about Sam telling the school about us before she hung up. I've tried calling her a couple times today and she won't pick up."

"She's probably nervous as fuck," Adam said loudly, forgetting about the 3rd grader in the house.

"Hey!" Randy said. "Linds is upstairs, don't curse like that."

If Randy wasn't so serious Adam would have laughed. "Sorry," He cracked a smile. "Listen, Chloe's meeting is today, she's probably ridiculously nervous and you're the last person she wants to talk to on today of all days."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Dude, the reason she's in trouble with her job is because of a relationship you two had together and right now she's probably wondering if there even is a relationship any more." Adam explained.

Randy groaned and leaned back on the couch. "You're right,"

Adam grinned. "I'm always right."

* * *

Chloe walked into the conference room at Emerald Elementary and immediately cursed herself. She knew she should have waited until the last minute to walk in here. There were only a few members of the board and she didn't want to sit around and chat with people that were in the end probably going to fire her by the end of the day.

She smiled politely at the members as she walked past them and took a seat in the middle of the opposite side of the table. She kept herself busy and spread out her notes as she waited for the meeting to get started. She ran a clammy hand nervous over her thigh and immediately wished she'd worn jeans to be more comfortable. She'd decided to wear a black pencil skirt, a deep purple sweater and burgundy pumps to appear more professional.

"Alright everybody," Principal Turner said snapping Chloe out of her thoughts. "Now that we are all here, we can jump into this meeting." She turned her attention to Chloe. "We are all very aware of why we are here and we wanted to give Miss Ryan a chance to say her peace. Miss Ryan…" She said, signaling Chloe should take this time to say what she needed to.

Chloe nodded and noticed that she was seated on one side of the table and everyone else was on the other. Talk about drawing the line. "Thanks," She said before clearing her throat. "Um, I just wanted to thank you all for holding this meeting and giving me a chance to explain." She said nervously. Almost like a light switch, the nerves transformed into anger as she looked out at all the judgmental faces looking at her, daring her to say something that would get them to change their minds. And dammit, she would, if not for her job then for her pride. "First and foremost, I would like you all to know that in no way, shape or form do I regret the relationship I entered upon, despite how you all may feel." She said with a triumphant smile. She took pride in the way some of the members of the board turned to face each other in shock. "Now that that is out of the way, I would like to bring your attention to the Guidelines and Rule Book for Teachers of Emerald Elementary. If you would all turn to page 77, paragraph 12." She paused to allow everyone to find the page. "It says teachers have a right to privacy and private matters must not effect one's job," She trailed down the page. "And if you turned your attention to paragraph 16 on the same page, it says teachers cannot be hired or fired based on personal relations that positively or negatively effect one's performance without reasonable cause." She read word for word and looked up at all the surprised faces as they looked from one another as if asking each other if they had ever noticed this clause. "Now, if you ask me, firing me because of my private relationship is not reasonable cause." She paused dramatically and closed the book. "Listen, I'm just going to cut right down to the chase. Yes it is true, I entered into a relationship with a father of one of my students. However, that wasn't until after the school year ended and his daughter was no longer one of my students. I just want you to know that entering into a relationship with a man is no reason to fire me or anyone else for that mater. I love my job here and if you decide to fire me, I will miss it and all the kids I've taught and missed out on teaching. I seriously hope you think long and hard about this before you make any rash decisions. I am aware that Sam Orton was the one who informed the school of my relationship with her ex and in no way do I think this is any of your business." That certainly resulted in many murmurs. "It is clearly a private, family matter and I think it is repulsive that she would put my career at risk to simply get the last word or one up me." She looked around at the faces as she gathered up her things so she could get the heck out of here. "I love Randy Orton and no matter what the verdict of today may be and no matter if Sam Orton thinks she has won, I will always love him."

The board looked around at each other in shock as they shared some whispers. "The board will discuss the matter and let you know mid-week if your services at the school are needed any longer." One of the board members said and Chloe nodded before grabbing her things and leaving in a rush.

* * *

**A/N: Ahh, thanks for all your reviews last chapter, i loved them! Hope this chapter didn't suck too much. Oh and on a side note, i am seriously just starting to notice how handsome Wade Barrett is. lol**


	38. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 38_

Rachel, Chloe and Jess were sitting in Chloe and Jess's living room watching a movie when the doorbell rang. "That's probably the pizza man, I'll get it," Rachel said and stood up, taking a second to look at the coffee table in front of her. They had all congregated here to support Chloe on the huge meeting she'd had today. The coffee table was filled with candy and chips and soda, the girls were definitely pigging out.

Rachel stopped by her purse on the way to the door to grab her wallet to pay for the pizza they ordered before making her way to the door. "How much was it again?" Rachel asked as she pulled open the door, keeping her head down as she looked in her wallet to see how much cash she had.

"You can pay me if you want," Adam said with an amused grin causing Rachel's head to snap up in surprise. "But all this can be yours for free," He made a sweeping gesture down his body.

She scowled at him and closed her wallet. "What are you doing here?"

"Were you expecting someone else?" He asked picking up on her now annoyed attitude.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I thought you were the pizza guy," She said putting her hands on her hips. "What do you want?"

He held his hands up in surrender. "I heard about Chloe's meeting earlier today and I wanted to come by and see how it went."

He said her defenses weaken at his concern for her friend. "Oh," She said uncertain. "Did Randy send you here?" Even though both Jess and Rach had a feeling Randy would clear things up with Chloe about the situation with Sam, they had a loyalty to their friend and were by default also upset with Randy.

He shook his head. "I admit I did let him know I was heading over here but it wasn't his idea, it was mine."

She nodded, believing him. "Okay, come in," She said opening the door wider. She lead him into the living room. "Look what the cat dragged in," She said as she took her seat back on the couch next to Chloe.

Jess and Chloe both looked up and Chloe smiled. "Adam, what are you doing here?" She got up and greeted him with a friendly hug.

"I heard about your meeting and I wanted to see how it went." He said and sat down in the chair next to the couch that she pointed for him to take.

"Oh that's nice of you," She said sitting back down. "It went ok. Basically I told them what I thought about their bullshit and no matter what their decision, I won't regret my relationship with Randy." Adam noticed her slight flinch when she said Randy's name. Obviously the wounds were still very fresh. "I'll know by mid week if I'll be coming back this year."

He nodded in understanding and took a second to look at the coffee table filled with junk. "You having a girls night or something?" He asked, the corner of his lips tilting up in amusement.

Chloe nodded with a smile. "We're celebrating. I don't know yet if I get to keep my job, but either way we're celebrating me keeping my job if that's the case, and if not, we're celebrating me not keeping the job and finding a better fit for me."

Adam couldn't help but laugh. "Positive thinking, I like it." He looked around and his eyes landed on the one women he had yet to meet. "I'm Adam, you must be Jess," He said, standing up to reach over and shake her hand.

"Oh, I forgot you two haven't met," Chloe said, regretfully.

Jess smiled back at him. "That's me, nice to meet you,"

"You too, I've heard a lot about you." He said, sitting back down.

She shot a look at Rach and Chloe. "Don't believe everything they tell you." Adam simply laughed because little did she know he didn't hear everything about her from her friend, but John too.

A couple minutes later the doorbell rang and Chloe shot up. "That's probably the pizza, I'll get it."

"Use my wallet!" Rachel yelled, wanting it to be her treat, though she knew her friend was going to ignore her. A minute later she walked back with two medium pizza's and cleared some space on the table.

"I'll get plates, Adam you stay and take my seat on the couch, this little chair is too small for you." Chloe said with a pat on his back before going into the kitchen and grabbing plates.

Adam smiled at Rachel as he sat next to her on the small couch, with Chloe and Jess each occupying a chair on either side of the couch. Rachel rolled her eyes at him and accepted the plate Chloe handed out to her.

"Alright what movie is next?" Jess asked after taking a bite of pizza.

"You sure you ladies don't mind me crashing your girls night?" Adam asked to make sure. As long as it was cool with them, he was staying. A night in with three beautiful woman? Who could say no.

"Not at all, as long as you don't mind watching chick flicks." Chloe said.

He grinned. "My favorite kind."

Rachel rolled her eyes again and reached over to the stack of movies sitting next to her. "Next up, The Notebook." She looked over at Adam, as if expecting him to leave.

He winked at her. "Perfect," He said before taking the movie from him and putting it in the DVD player himself.

* * *

Two bottles of wine, two pizzas, 3 bottles of beer and a quarter bottle of vodka later, Jess and Chloe were practically passed out, Rachel was pretty drunk and Adam, the only sober one. Rachel helped Jess into her room and Adam helped Chloe before they met each other back in the living room. She immediately went to her purse and started searching for her keys. She held them triumphantly in her hand but they were snatched away a couple seconds later. She looked up and saw Adam staring down at her.

"You're not seriously thinking of driving are you?" Adam asked.

She glared at him. "Yes I am, I need to get home."

"You're drunk, you can't drive."

"I'm not drunk!" She protested and reached for her keys but he held them out of her reach.

He smiled at her and slid her purse onto her shoulder. "Come on princess, I'll drive you home."

She narrowed her eyes. "I don't want you to drive me home, I can do it myself." He didn't say anything and bent down to haul her over his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her thighs, right under her butt. "Hey! Put me down you big jerk!" She said and punched him square on the back.

"Calm down Rocky," He said as he carried her down to the parking lot. "Where's your car?" He asked.

"I'm not telling." She said stubbornly. He laughed and hit the alarm button on her key set. A second later the parking lot was filled with the sounds of a car alarm going off. Adam followed the sound and once he found the car, he turned it off. He gently set Rachel down in the passenger seat before climbing into the drivers seat. She was still stubborn but she seemed to have calmed down a little bit and gave him directions to her house. Once they pulled up outside of the small town house, Rachel immediately hopped out of the car. Adam shot out just as fast to catch up to her just in case she started to stumble. "I'm not drunk." She said right before she lost her balance momentarily. She tried her best to ignore Adam's hand on her waist to steady her. "I could have drove myself." She expected him to say something but when he didn't she twirled around. Dizziness seemed to grip her and she closed her eyes for a second.

"Hey, you okay?" Adam asked, stepping forward, putting a hand on her cheek.

She opened her eyes, surprised at his closeness. "Just dizzy."

He nodded. "Come on, I'll help you inside then call myself a cab." She let him lead her to the door but she had some trouble fitting her key in the lock. He reached out and grabbed the keys from her and unlocked the door with his front against her back and his arm wrapped around her. He pushed open the door and once inside she immediately slipped off her shoes and coat.

As if she just thought of something, she whirled around and stepped up close to Adam. "You know what?"

"What?" He asked amused.

Her eyes seemed to soften and her hand shot out to touch his hair. "I really like your hair." He laughed and thanked her. "Can I smell it?"

He raised a brow. "You want to smell my…hair?" She nodded and he shrugged telling her to go ahead. She leaned in close, her arms wrapping around his neck and inhaled. "You're kinda kinky when you're drunk, you know that?" She leaned back and narrowed her eyes. "Right, right, you're not drunk."

She stayed there, staring up at his face and bit her lip. His arms instinctively wrapped around her waist. "You know what else?"

He gulped. This sure was dangerous. "What?"

"You're really sexy." She said and giggled after, as if she shouldn't have said that.

"You sure are filled with compliments tonight." He smiled.

"We just got off to a wrong start, I'm actually a very nice person." She said in a quiet voice as she subconsciously moved closer to him.

"Coulda fooled me." He joked.

She spend the next minute alternating between looking in his eyes and at his lips. Finally she said, "I'm going to kiss you," And waited a second to see if he protested, which he didn't, before leaning in and covering his mouth with hers. Adam couldn't help but groan at the contact. This was an unexpected end to his evening. He had to say when he'd gone over to Chloe's he had not expected Rachel to be there but when she'd opened the door, he was very happy with his decision to stop by.

Her breathy little moan broke Adam out of his thoughts and felt her start to walk backwards. "Rachel," He whispered breaking the kiss. Her lips immediately touched his neck, as if they couldn't stand to not be connected to him. "Rachel," He said again and forced her to look in his eyes. "You sure? You're…intoxicated. I don't want to take advantage of you."

Her eyes darkened in lust. She didn't say anything and instead pressed her lips back to his in a passionate kiss, telling him everything he needed to know. In a second his hands were on her butt and pushing her up so her legs wrapped around his waist and he carried her to the closest bedroom he could find.

* * *

**A/N: You guys and your reviews are absolutely amazing! Thank you so much and keep them coming! It's about time Adam and Rachel hooked up huh?**


	39. Chapter 39

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 39_

Rachel opened her eyes the next morning slowly, allowing her eyes to adjust to the bright light seeping through her windows. She let out a yawn but opened her eyes wide when she felt a firm arm wrapped around her waist. She looked down at the hand in alarm and all the events from last night came rushing back to her. She closed her eyes tight and cursed herself for letting herself get carried away by Adam's good looks and charm.

She pulled herself out of his grip, in effect, waking him up and yanked the sheet with her as she stood up to wrap around her naked body. She realized she had made a mistake when she saw Adam's naked body laid out on her bed with nothing covering him.

"Mmm, good morning," Adam said with a smile as he stretched his body out.

Rachel turned around so she didn't have to look at his nude form and held the sheet tight around her. "Last night was a mistake," She instantly said. "You should probably leave."

Adam scratched his chest but made no move to leave or cover himself up. "So that's how it's going to be huh?" He asked, his disapproval obvious in his tone.

"Of course that is how it's going to be." She said enraged as she turned to face him, making sure to keep gaze above the waist, or more accurately above the shoulders. "What we did last night should never have happened. I was drunk."

Adam grinned. "That's not what you said last night. In fact you said 'I'm not drunk' quite a few times."

She glared at him. "Which only proves my point further. I was drunk."

He stood up in front of her. "You wanted last night just as much as I did, princess. Why don't you just admit it?"

"First off, stop calling me princess!" She said walking around him to put more space between them. "And second, I most certainly did not want last night to happen. Especially with you! But I was not in the right state of mind and I was obviously horny, you just so happened to be the only guy around. Any other guy could have taken me home and I would have slept with him too!" She exclaimed, wanting to make sure he understood she had absolutely no feelings for him.

He chuckled a little bit and pulled on his boxer briefs. "I don't think you would have. If it was any other guy, you would have thanked him for the ride and gone to sleep. But who am I to blame you for attacking me?" He asked, in true Edge cockiness. "It's a completely natural reaction to an attractive man like myself."

Rachel rolled her eyes and let out a snort. "Oh whatever. I'm going to take a shower. Get dressed and leave." She said as she threw his shirt at his chest.

He smiled when he saw he was getting to her. "How about we make that a shower for two?"

She slammed the bathroom door shut and yelled through the door. "Get out of my house you jackass!" Adam laughed as he pulled on his shirt and his jeans before pulling out his phone and calling a cab to come pick him up.

* * *

A few hours later, after Rachel and Chloe's flight landed and they were relaxing in their hotel room, Chloe was reading a book and Rachel was typing away on her laptop. Rachel stood up when she heard a soft knock on the door. When she pulled open the door, she wasn't too surprised to see Randy on the other side. She glanced back to see if Chloe was still buried in her book, and she was. Rach held up a finger to Randy, telling him to give her one minute, then she went back into the room, folded up her laptop and tucked it in her arms. "Hey Chlo, I'm going to go get some coffee and finish this storyline."

Her friend barely looked up from her book. "Alright, see you later."

Rachel walked out the door, giving Randy a pat on the back telling him good luck then she left the couple alone. Randy walked into the room, letting the door close softly behind him. He smiled when he saw Chloe's nose buried in the book and that she hadn't even noticed he was in the room. "Is it any good?" He asked and pointed to the book when her head shot up and looked him.

"How, uh, how did you get in here?" She asked, obviously a little nervous.

"Rachel," He answered.

She nodded and looked down at her book. She took her time making a crease at the corner of the page she was on before closing the book all together. "I suppose you want to talk." He nodded. "Can we do this later? I promise we can do this tomorrow but-"

Randy cut her off. "I really hope we can do this now. I've already waited long enough, I should have cleared things up the day this all happened." He said gently yet firm in the fact that he didn't want to wait anymore.

She pursed her lips and nodded, obviously unable to put it off any longer. "Ok," She said and pat the spot next to her on the couch for him to come sit.

"I'm just going to get right into it," Randy said, moving his body to face her. "Sam came over to drop Lindsey off and I asked her to stay for a few minutes so I could find out the truth of her tipping off the school. After she confessed, I asked her why she would do it. One thing she said that she was basically insecure about your relationship with Linds. The second," He paused and tried to think of the best way of putting it. "was that she wanted me and her to give our relationship another go." He saw Chloe stiffen up and he reached out to touch her hand. He rubbed his thumb over the skin when he didn't feel her try to move away. "I told her that we didn't work together and that I was with you but she didn't listen and what you walked in on was her kissing me. It was a desperate kiss on her part and you have to believe that I never wanted it to happen."

Chloe turned her eyes to look at him. "Why didn't you push her away?"

He shrugged. "I was in shock at first and when I realized what she was doing I tried to push her away but she held on strong and I didn't want to physically hurt her." She nodded and he used his other hand to grab hers so he was now holding both of her hands. "Chlo, you have to believe me when I say that I love you and I would never kiss another woman. Sure I have a crazy ex," He said and smiled when he saw the corner of her mouth twitch upward. "and who can fault her for wanting me?" Chloe rolled her eyes. "But the point is, the only person I want to kiss is you."

Chloe turned her body more toward him and looked down at their joined hands. "Can you say it again?"

"Say what?"

She looked into his eyes. "You know,"

He wrinkled his brow in confusion before he had a good idea what she was asking for. He pulled one hand from hers and rested it on her cheek. "I love you so much,"

A smile spread across her face and she leaned into his hand. "I love you too,"

Randy's heart soared. "Really?" She nodded and he leaned forward capturing her lips in a kiss. She let out a sigh of satisfaction the moment their lips touched.

Once they pulled away, they rested their foreheads against each other. "I forgive you and I'm sorry if I overreacted. I should have known you wouldn't want anything to do with Sam."

"Just remember that from now on. And I'm sorry about that little stunt she pulled and all that she's putting you through right now." He said as he caressed the base of her neck expertly. "Oh, hey, how was your meeting yesterday?"

She let out a sigh. "I'm not sure. I mean I said my peace and they said they'll let me know their decision mid week."

"Aw baby," He said. "They'd be stupid to get rid of you."

"Thanks," She said with a smile as she ran her hands up and down his back before circling her hands around his waist and up his chest. "Mmm, I've missed you." She said pecking his lips.

He grinned. "Have you?"

"Mmhmm," She said before leaning forward to capture his lips in a passionate kiss.

* * *

Adam sat up a little straighter when he saw Rachel walk into the café and look around for an empty table. She took a seat at a table on the other side of the room and he watched her as she set her things down to claim her space before going to the counter to order something. She walked back to her table with an iced coffee and lifted the top of her laptop before she started typing away. Adam grinned and stood up so he could go over and talk to her but stopped short when Stephen sat down next to her. Rachel looked up and smiled when she saw him. She gave him a hug and the two fell into easy conversation. Adam's hands clenched at his sides. He couldn't believe it but he was feeling jealous. How come she couldn't smile at him like that? Like she was actually happy to see him. And how come she didn't talk to him like that? Would she ever feel that comfortable around him? He forced himself to look away and marched out of the café to get away from the scene before him.

* * *

"So you working on my storyline?" Stephen asked as he nodded to the computer.

Rachel smiled and lowered the top of her computer a little bit. "Nope, I am definitely not writing main event angles yet, they wanted to start me off on the smaller, mid-card stuff. But even if I was, you know I couldn't tell you what I'm writing." She said as she took a sip of her iced coffee.

He grinned at her. "Well, when you work your way up to write my stuff, we'll have to see if you could resist not telling me." She rolled her eyes playfully. "So I was wondering, what are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Nothing, why? What's up?"

"I was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner with me?" He asked confidently.

She lifted a brow in surprise. "Really?" He nodded and she smiled. "Sure, that would be fun."

His smile widened. "Great, it's a date." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "See you later," He said before walking off, leaving Rachel to get back to work, which was quite difficult as she was feeling quite giddy about her date tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N: I love you guys! You and your reviews and favorites and alerts are so amazing! Keep it up!**


	40. Chapter 40

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 40_

Sunday night Rachel was walking down the hall of the arena. She had just left catering and was headed back to the creative office so she could get back to work. Her head was down as she focused on a text message she was sending off to Jess, trying to convince her to come on the road next week.

Before she knew it, she felt a hand wrap around her arm and pull her into a dark room. She let out a gasp when she felt her back hit the wall and a pair of lips cover her own. She let out a moan as she instantly recognized those lips. Her eyes popped open as it sunk in who exactly was kissing her and she shoved him away. "What the hell are you doing you ass?" She asked angrily as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Adam grinned as he slid his hands to her waist. "I've been wanting to do that since I left your place yesterday," He explained as he leaned forward and attached his lips to her neck.

She pushed him away again. "Knock it off, I'm not interested."

He raised an eyebrow at her and put his hands on his hips. "No? Let me guess you're more interested in Stephen?"

"As a matter of fact, yes I am." She said, standing her ground. He had obviously been getting ready for his match later tonight as he was just wearing his ring gear. She tried not to let her eyes roam his naked torso but it was easier said than done.

"Yeah, I think I heard something about you two having a date tonight." He said, obviously annoyed.

She frowned. "How'd you know?"

He smiled. "People talk sweetheart." He said as he reached out to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

She smacked his hand away. "Stop it and not that it is any of your business but yes I am going out with Stephen tonight."

"Why?" He asked curiously.

"Because he's a nice guy and he asked me out."

"You're really interested in him?" He asked in disbelief.

She nodded. "I like him,"

"Well Shit," Adam said as he ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment. "I thought you were just playing hard to get."

She could tell he was embarrassed and if he wasn't such a jerk, she would have felt bad. "I, um, gotta get back to work."

Adam nodded and waited until he heard the door close before chuckling. No way was he giving up that easy. He saw her checking him out. She didn't want to admit that she was interested in him but she was. It was only a matter of time before she quit denying herself.

* * *

"Hey, you're all dressed up." Chloe said to Rachel as she opened the door to the hotel room she was now sharing with Randy. "What's the occasion?"

Rach smiled at her friend and Randy as she walked further into the room. "You like it?" She asked of her outfit. She was wearing a simple navy blue silk romper with a cute pair of silver stilettos. "It's not too much?"

"No you look cute," Chloe said with a smile as she sat down next to Randy on the couch. "Where are you going?"

"I have a date with Stephen," Rachel explained as she pulled out her lip-gloss from her purse before applying it to her lips.

Chloe looked at Randy in surprise. "You're going out with Stephen?" Rach nodded. "But…you barely even know him."

"Well what I know of him I like. Plus isn't the point of dating, to get to know someone?"

Randy smiled at his girlfriend's friend. "I think it's great that you're getting to know everyone and Stephen's a good guy."

"Randy," Chloe said turning to him. "Should she really be going on a date by herself with a man she barely even knows?"

"Babe," Randy said as he ran his hand up and down her arm to calm her down. "He's a really good guy, there's nothing to worry about."

"But I think-" Chloe started but was cut off.

"Well gee mom and dad, I appreciate your concern but I'll be fine." Rach said sarcastically. "Seriously Chloe, it's not like I've never spoke to the man; We have spent a lot of time together."

"But, you barely know him," Chloe repeated herself, her concern for her friend evident.

Rach rolled her eyes. "I know him better than you do." She pointed out. "And Randy knows him better than both of us and if he says he's ok, then I believe him."

Chloe let out a sigh, realizing she was caught. She couldn't very well debate Randy's judgment when she knew he wouldn't lie about this. "Fine, fine. Go on your date, have fun."

Rach smiled. "Not that I was asking for your permission but good to know you're ok with it." She looked over at the clock and grabbed her purse. "Alright, I'll see you two later."

After she left, she headed down to the hotel restaurant where she had agreed to meet Stephen. She spotted him almost instantly at the bar upon entering the room and she walked toward him. He turned around right as she was a few feet away and smiled. "Hey, you look beautiful," He said as he looked over her outfit. He held out a hand for her, which she took, and he stepped forward to place a kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you, have you been here long?" She asked as she sat next to him at the bar.

"Not too long, I put our name in so it shouldn't be too long before we are seated. Want something to drink while we wait?" He asked, indicating that he had already ordered himself a beer.

"Sure, I'll have a glass of red wine, please." Stephen nodded and ordered her drink.

"So how was the rest of your day at work?" He asked after the bartender went to go pour her drink.

She smiled. "It was good, really busy but that's how I like it." He gave a small chuckle. "How was your match tonight?"

"It was really good. I wrestled Evan Bourne; damn he's small but he knows what he is doing."

She nodded. "You know I think-" She was saying before a booming voice interrupted her.

"I don't believe it! Stephen, Rachel? Is that you?" The voice asked loudly from afar. The pair turned to see who it was and Rachel glared when she saw it was Adam who was sitting across from a pretty blonde. Adam's grin widened. "It is you. Come here," He said amicably.

Stephen looked at her, as if asking if it was ok if they went over there and she nodded. They grabbed their drinks and walked over to his table. "Hey Adam," Stephen said and reached forward to shake his hand.

"I think I remembered hearing something about the two of you going on a date tonight," He said as he looked at Rach. "Why don't you guys join us?"

Rachel looked at Stephen. She really didn't want to double date with Adam and some random fan girl but as she looked into Stephen's eyes she knew he was going to say yes. He looked a little hesitant, like he didn't want to, but he was kinda a rookie in the company and turning down one of the veterans might not be the best idea. She understood but she wasn't too happy about it. "Alright, sure." She said and noticed the thankful smile her date sent her. He sat down next to Adam's date and that left her to sit next to Adam.

"Great," Adam said excitedly. "This is my date Melanie,"

"Melissa," The girl corrected, visibly annoyed that she had to share her date with two other people.

Adam grinned, unaffected. "Right but my pet name for her is Melanie."

Rachel raised her eyebrow. "Really? Why's that?"

Under the table, Adam's hand slid onto Rach's bare thigh. "Melanie, you're sitting next to the champ, Stephen." He said, ignoring Rachel's question completely. Rachel put her hand on Adam's wrist to pull his hand up but it only made him tighten his grip.

Melanie, or Melissa, turned to Stephen. "Really? You're the champ." She was suddenly very interested in Rachel's date.

He shrugged as if it was no big deal. "I'm pretty proud of it."

"And this is Rachel, she's a part of the creative team." Adam introduced.

Rachel smiled politely. "Nice to meet you," In response Melissa glared at her. "Okay," She mumbled, obviously this young girl was only interested in getting to know the stars. The waitress came and took their orders a few minutes later and the table dissolved into a silence.

"So how did you two crazy kids meet?" Adam asked Stephen as he moved his hand higher on Rachel's thigh.

Stephen smiled. "She spilled coffee on me."

Adam turned to the woman sitting next to him, amused. "You sure do make good first impressions." She rolled her eyes and then he turned to face her date. "You should hear how we met. Apparently the hotel overbooked last week and they assigned me her room. I walked in and she flipped out on me."

"I wasn't expecting a man to come into my hotel room and claim it was his room." She defended herself to Stephen. She didn't want him to think she was some crazy girl.

He smiled back. "I'll bet."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all your feedback, you guys are too good to me!**


	41. Chapter 41

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 41_

Rachel held in her emotions as Stephen walked her back to her hotel room after their date with a goodnight kiss on the cheek. After he disappeared from view, she immediately marched down the hall. Once she approached the room she was looking for, she balled her hand in a fist and banged loudly on the door. She waited impatiently for the man on the other end to open the door and once he did, she pushed past him and entered the room.

"Well this is a nice surprise," Adam said with a smug smile as he walked toward her after shutting the door closed behind her.

She turned to face him and scowled. "You have a lot of nerve!" She poked her finger at him.

"Huh?" He played dumb.

She rolled her eyes. "You know exactly what I'm talking about you jackass! I can't believe you ruined my date!"

He threw his hands up at the accusation. "Hey, if you didn't have a good time on your date, don't blame me, I wasn't your date."

She glared at him. "I would have had a great time with Stephen if you hadn't asked us to join you."

"I didn't force you to sit with us," Adam pointed out.

"But you knew Stephen respects you and wasn't going to say no." She said and his silence told her she was telling the truth. "It sure was a coincidence, you being on a date the same place I was, especially considering that earlier you were trying to convince me not to go." She raised an eyebrow.

He grinned. "It sure was, wasn't it?"

She groaned. "You are so infuriating!"

He stepped closer. "You look so tense, let me relax you," He said and put his hands on her shoulder, turning her around before gently kneading neck and shoulder. He smiled when he faintly heard her moan. "I know you don't like me, but I certainly like you." He whispered in her ear as his hands moved expertly over her skin.

She let her eyes flutter closed. Her brain wanted her to fight him off but her body was telling her something else completely. "I don't not like you," She murmured in the moment.

He grinned and leaned forward to gently press his lips to her neck. "Good,"

What is wrong with you! She mentally yelled at herself, he was right, you don't like him! It was like the minute he flashed that knee-weakening smile and touched her, she was under a spell. "I should get going," She heard herself say, though she made no movement to leave.

"Aw, no, don't do that." He said as he trailed his lips to her shoulder. "Stay here with me,"

Oh so tempting. "I can't," She said, feeling mildly responsible. Though her brain was trying to leave, her body wanted no part of it and instead of stepping away from him, she actually relaxed under his touch and leaned into him.

"I think you can," He said before turning her around and pressing his lips to hers. She immediately groaned into the kiss, the anticipation had been killing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close as she opened her mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist when he picked her up and she knew that no matter how hard she tried to deny her attraction toward Adam, it was definitely there and she had a feeling she would give into his advances every time.

* * *

"I liked it, what'd you think?" Chloe asked Randy as the pair walked out of the movie theater hand in hand.

Randy grinned. "Well I was otherwise occupied during most of the movie," He said, sending a wink at Chloe. "but I liked what I saw."

Chloe blushed as she remembered her and Randy making out in the back of the dark theater like a couple of teenagers. "Well maybe we'll just have to go see the movie again," She suggested, knowing that was not something he would want to do.

"Not gonna happen babe," He replied. "The next movie we see will be all action all the time."

"Well, no matter what, this was a great date." She said referring to the dinner they had gone to before heading over to the movie theater.

"The date's not over yet." He commented.

She rolled her eyes and tugged him in the direction of the hotel but he stopped walking. She turned to look at him. "Hotel's this way," She gestured.

"Weren't you listening?" He asked as he pulled her in the opposite direction. "The date's not over."

"Oh, I thought you were just talking about…" She trailed off, now embarrassed that she thought he wanted to take her back to the hotel.

"Having my evil way with you?" He asked huskily as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. Her cheeks reddened. "There will definitely be time for that later." He practically growled before tilting her head up for a quick kiss.

Minutes later the couple arrived at a cute little bakery that was obviously a hot spot at night as it was pretty packed. "I stopped by here last time I was in town and I thought you might like it."

She smiled. "It's so cute and it smells delicious." She said as they walked inside. She went off to find them a table while Randy ordered for them. When he came back, he had a black coffee and a chocolate cupcake for himself and a cappuccino and a red velvet cupcake for Chloe.

"Those are your favorites if I remember right." Randy said as he sat them in front of her.

"You absolutely remembered right," She said as she took a sip of the cappuccino, sighing aloud at how good it tasted. "So how's Lindsey? I wish I was able to see her when we were home this week."

"She is good, she missed you but she understood why you weren't around after I explained to her that you were upset with me." She nodded. "But my parents are taking her to Disney World for the next couple of days so she should pretty excited."

"She is definitely going to have an amazing time. Has she ever been before?"

Randy nodded. "Yeah, my family went a few years ago and I brought her, she was pretty young though so she couldn't ride all the rides she wanted to. She'll have a lot more fun this time."

She nodded. "I gotta say, I've never been to Disney World, I went to Disneyland once when I was a kid, but I imagine that it is definitely not the same."

"No it's not and we're going to have to change that real soon." He said with a wink, promising to take her to Disney some time.

She looked down at her uneaten cupcake, suddenly feeling unsure. "Speaking of parents though, I was thinking it might be a good idea for you to meet my parents." She said before finally facing the music and looking him in the eye. "I mean, if you don't want to, I completely understand but they've been asking about you and-"

Randy cut her off by reaching out to touch his hand to hers. "Chlo, I would love to meet your parents."

She beamed with relief. "Really?"

He grinned back. "Of course. Don't you remember when we first started seeing each other, I told you I wouldn't mind meeting them. That hasn't changed."

She let out a breath. "Ok, good. They are going to be so excited to meet you."

"Well I'm happy to meet them, can't wait."

* * *

**A/N: So so sorry about not updating! It's been a crazy week and i've only just now found some time to put this chapter up. So four things...**

**1. Don't worry! I know lately i've been focusing more on the peripheral characters like Rachel and Jess but I want them to be a big part of this story too. Don't worry though, Chloe and Randy are always my focus for this story.**

**2. I know many of you are wondering and have no fear, Lindsey and Sam will both be back in a couple chapters.**

**3. Thank you for all your wonderful feedback, I reread all your reviews and it made me want to update this faster than I probably would have been able to.**

**4. Cody Rhodes is a babe. (Even with that questionable nose ring.)**

**:)!**


	42. Chapter 42

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 42_

"Wow, you have four other brothers?" Jess asked John. They were having their daily phone conversation and this time John was filling her in on his family. "I'm jealous. I'm an only child but I've always wanted siblings."

"Yeah, I definitely don't know what I would do without them. But, hey, there are good things about being an only child. You got all your parents attention." John added.

She gave a small laugh. "Yeah, not always a good thing."

John laughed too. "At least you've got good friends,"

She smiled as she thought of Rach and Chloe. "Yeah, you're right, they definitely make up for my lack of siblings."

"So you know-" He began to say when Jess heard a knock at the door.

"Hold that thought, someone's at my door." She said before going over to the door and opening it. She lifted an eyebrow when she saw Josh standing on the other end. "What are you doing here?"

"You haven't been answering my calls." He simply said.

"I told you I don't want to talk to you."

He reached out to grab her arm but she moved it out of reach. "Please, Jess, I want to explain."

"Let's see, you have no job and really have absolutely no motivation to even try to get one. You have practically no money because you have no job so I basically pay for everything for you. Oh and let's not forget the fact that you've been cheating on me for who knows how long with who knows how many people." She put a hand on her hip as she finished her rant. "Did I miss anything?"

He let out a sigh, obviously thinking this meeting was going to go differently. "Just let me explain."

She shook her head. "Josh, there is really nothing you can say that will make me want you back. We're done and I would appreciate it if you stop calling me." She said before closing the door. She waited by the door and she let out a breath when she heard him walk away. She looked down and saw her phone in her hand. She mentally cursed herself. The minute she'd seen Josh, she'd forgotten that she was on the phone with John. She didn't want him to hear that. She brought the phone to her ear. "John?"

"Was that Josh?" He asked through clenched teeth. The moment he'd heard her say the man's name, his fists had automatically clenched as he remembered the worthless bastard cheated on her.

"Yeah,"

"Jess, has he been bothering you?" He asked in an obvious protective voice.

She let out a sigh as she sat down. "He calls a lot but this is the first time I've seen him since we broke up."

He was silent for a minute. "Are you alright?"

She smiled at his concern. "I'm fine. Hopefully he'll get the message."

"You know, I'm starting to think Rachel and Chloe are right. You should take time off work and come on the road with us."

She let out a groan and leaned back on the couch. "Not you too." She ran a hand over her face. "John, you should understand, you love your job more than anyone I know. I do too! I like working and when I'm not working, I'm thinking of things I can do for work."

John gave a little chuckle. "Me too, I understand what you're saying but everyone needs to know when they need a break occasionally. From what I hear from your friends, you go to work when your sick and you never have taken a vacation." He took her silence as him being correct. "Jess, you need a break. And with Josh harassing you, maybe now would be a good time."

"He's not harassing me," She mumbled.

"How often does he call you?" He countered.

"I don't know," She lied. Josh's calls were becoming much more frequent.

"Jess, as your friend, I think it would be a good idea if you thought of taking a little vacation and joining your friends on the road."

She let out a little sigh of defeat. "Ok, ok, I'll do it."

He grinned. "Great." He said before changing the subject. "So, Adam and I are going to be staying with Randy this week to get a little break from Tampa. I was thinking we could get together."

Her heart about beat through her chest. "Yeah, that would be nice."

John heard this smile in her voice and only wished he could see it. "Great, I can't wait."

She grinned. "Me neither."

* * *

Rachel clutched the white bed sheet to her chest after she rolled off of Adam. "I can't believe we let that happen again." She groaned as she stared at the ceiling.

Adam grinned but he too stared at the ceiling. "Believe it baby," He said before he finally turned his head to look at her. She could feel his gaze on her so she too turned her head. "You know, your fun drunk but sober sex is definitely your specialty."

She rolled her eyes. "Well gee thanks,"

"Don't you get tired of pretending you don't like me? I mean I definitely get tired of you pretending I'm scum."

She looked at him surprised. "I don't treat you like that."

He gave a low chuckle. "Yeah, you do sweetheart. I'm not the bad guy you think I am."

"I don't think you're a bad guy, I just-"

"You coulda fooled me." He added honestly.

She let out a sigh, suddenly feeling bad. "Sorry if you thought that... or if I really do treat you that way, it's just…" She trailed off trying to think how she wanted to word this. "Oh forget it, I should go." She said, clutching the sheet to her chest as she leaned down to grab her underwear next to the bed. Once she had her underwear on, she stood up and collected the rest of her things, pulling them on.

Adam just laid there watching her get dressed. He really wanted to know why she treated him the way she did but obviously she didn't want to tell him just yet. Rachel turned to him when she was done and looked like she wanted to say something to him but instead she just gave him a little wave and left.

* * *

Chloe let out a little sigh of satisfaction before breaking her kiss with Randy. She closed her eyes with a smile pulling at her lips. "Mmm, I love you." She said, opening her eyes to see his smiling face.

"I don't think I will ever get tired of hearing you say that." Randy said, attaching his lips to her neck.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of you." She said, taking in the feel of his lips on her skin.

He lifted his head, tucking a piece of hair behind her ears. "You sure? Even when I'm all old and wrinkly?"

She laughed. "Especially when your old and wrinkly."

"I'm going to hold you to that." He said, wrapping his arms tight around her. They were silent for a few minutes, just content with holding each other. "Have you heard from the school yet?"

"Not yet, hopefully they'll call tomorrow or Tuesday. I'm sick of waiting." She commented, burying her face in Randy's chest.

He soothingly ran his hand over her hair. "But I'm doing a good job of distracting you right?"

She lifted her head to look at him and smirked. "You certainly are and I appreciate it very much." She said pressing her lips to his.

"Mmm, that's what I'm here for." He said before rolling her under him as his mouth attacked hers.

* * *

**A/N: So not too much going on in this chapter, but much more to come soon, I promise! As always, thanks for you wonderful feedback, it never fails to put a smile on my face. :)**


	43. Chapter 43

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 43_

Monday night Rachel's duty was to hand out the scripts to all the divas and superstars. It was simple enough but she really wished she could be writing them instead of passing them out. But she knew she had to pay her dues and obviously she wouldn't start off right away with the big things. She knocked on one of the locker room doors and waited patiently for the door to open. When it did she smiled up at the young wrestler. "Hi, I've got scripts for the night." She said passing over the stack she had in her arms.

"Thanks," He said with a smile, taking the scripts from her before closing the door. She walked away to head back to the creative office to grab another set of scripts. She heard the door of the room she'd just been at open but didn't think anything of it until she heard someone call her name. She turned and smiled when she saw a grinning Stephen. "Hey,"

"I thought I heard your voice back there." He said and embraced her in a hug when he reached her. "How are you?"

"Good, I'm on script duty tonight," She replied with her nose scrunched up.

He gave a light chuckle. "Not too happy about that huh?"

She shrugged. "Obviously I would rather be writing something but I suppose I should get a feel for each aspect of the process." She shrugged again to show that she wasn't too bothered by this. "Way I figure, I'll be writing main events in no time."

He grinned. "That's the attitude."

She nodded. "So how are you?"

"I'm good, I was actually going to come find you later tonight." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Listen, I'm sorry about our date last night. That was definitely not how I wanted things to go."

"It's alright, I understand."

"Do you? I just...even though I'm put in the main event matches, I still feel like I have to earn the respect of the guys in the back who have been here longer." Stephen explained.

"Stephen," She said, reaching for his hand. "Like I said, I understand. You have to prove to Adam and some of the other guys you're not just a little cocky punk."

He chuckled at her wording. "Exactly. Good, I'm glad you're not mad at me."

"Of course not."

"Well, I was hoping I could make it up to you and take you on another date, just the two of us this time." He offered, stepping a bit closer.

She smiled. "I'd love to but I'm having dinner with Chloe tonight, I work tomorrow night and I leave Wednesday morning. Can we do it this weekend?" She suggested.

He nodded. "Absolutely, that will give me enough time to think up something special." He said with a wink.

She blushed a little. "Great, I can't wait."

"Me neither, I'll see you this weekend then." He said and once she nodded, he leaned and gave a small peck on the lips before walking away.

Rachel let out a soft sigh as she watched him walk away. It sure was nice to be pursued. She turned around but stopped in her tracks when she saw Adam leaning against the wall not too far away from her. "What?" She asked when he raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"Nothing," He said simply before pushing himself away from the wall and walking off. Adam mentally cursed himself as he walked away with his head hung low in defeat. He was so stupid thinking that their nights spent together meant anything to Rachel. She was obviously hung up on Stephen. He didn't know what he could do to get her to notice him.

* * *

  
"So you're saying you are actually going to take time off work and come travel with us?" Chloe asked Jessica in surprise as she clutched her phone tighter to her ear.

Jess gave a little laugh. "Yes for the third time! Is it really that hard to believe?"

"Uh, yeah! Rach and I only beg you to take a vacation every time we see you." She paused thoughtfully. "What made you change your mind?"

Jess was silent for a minute. "Well, I've been, uh, talking to John lately."

Chloe smiled wide. "You don't say,"

"I do say and I just figured it'd be nice to get away for a while." She said casually.

"Well whatever John said to get you to agree, I owe him. I am very excited about this, we are going to have so much fun, wait until I tell Rachel." Chloe said excitedly. "Oh! Before I forget, I don't know if John told you but Randy is having John and Adam over this week and I was thinking it would be fun if we could all get together for a barbecue or something so keep Thursday night open."

Jess zoned off for a second as she thought of seeing John again. She definitely felt butterflies in her stomach. "Alright, sounds good."

"Great! Well, I better get back to work. Talk to you in a couple days." Chloe said before they hung up.

* * *

Adam sat down on the bench after walking into his locker room. He rested his elbows on his knees and looked down at his feet, lost in thought. "Damn her," He cursed Rachel to the empty room, he shouldn't be as hung up on her as he is.

"Damn who?" He heard someone say. He looked up and sighed at the sight of John. No way could he lie to his friend, no, he was too down.

"Rachel," Adam answered honestly.

"Wow, really?" John asked. He could tell that the "Damn her," comment wasn't in anger, it definitely sounded more like frustration. He could tell his friend was obviously into someone but he never would have guessed Rachel was the one. "I guess when I look back I shouldn't be surprised cause all that fighting was probably a whole lot of sexual tension." He said with a playful grin.

Adam nodded. "True on my part, though I'm not so sure I can say the same for her. She pretty much hates me even though we've-" He cut himself off, realizing he's already said too much.

John raised an eyebrow. "Even though you've…?" He asked curiously, wanting his friend to finish his sentence.

Adam let out a breath. He was going to have to just tell him now or he'd never let it go. "We've slept together twice." Adam replied.

"No shit." John commented in shock.

"Yeah and I think I really like her but…I don't know…she's always annoyed with me, plus I think she's pretty serious about Stephen."

"Hold on," John said, lifting his hand. "One thing at a time. Ok, she does seem to be annoyed with you often but you're not mister nice guy either. Whenever you two are together, you're constantly making sarcastic and condescending comments to her."

Adam frowned. "Whose side are you on?" He asked knowing his friend was right.

John just grinned proudly. "And as for how she feels about Stephen…well that can easily be remedied by you maybe not being such a jackass."

Adam smiled suddenly after listening to what his friend had to say. "You know, I think you're onto something. This weekend at Randy's, I'll show her I'm a good guy she could really like." He looked at his friend. "Thanks bud."

"No problem."

"So enough about me, anything going on with you and Jess?" Adam asked curiously.

"First of all, I never thought I'd ever hear you say the words 'enough about me' in a sentence." He laughed when Adam threw his water bottle at him. "But yeah, we talk on the phone almost every night."

"Whoa," Adam said surprised. "Sounds serious."

John shrugged. "Maybe, I'm not one hundred percent sure but I'm definitely going to use my time in St. Louis wisely."

* * *

**A/N: Woohoo! Another chapter! Thanks for all your amazing reviews, i love them, keep them coming!**


	44. Chapter 44

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 44_

"Big news!" Chloe said excitedly later that night when she and Rachel had received their food at a restaurant. Rachel raised her brow in question. "Jess is taking time off to come on the road!"

Rach's eyes grew wide. "What? Serious?"

Chloe nodded. "She's going to finish this week and take next week off."

Rach smiled. "I'm so excited. She needs this." Chloe nodded in agreement. "You know," Rachel started thoughtfully. "It's not that I'm not excited about this cause I am, but I wonder what made her change her mind."

Chloe looked around the restaurant as if she was spilling a huge secret. "Well I don't know for sure if this is the reason but she did tell me she's been talking to John a lot."

"Hmm…really?" Rach asked with a smile.

"Yeah, so I'll be interested to see how they interact with each other when we get home." She commented and then looked up. "I did tell you about the barbecue Randy's thinking of having right?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Ugh, don't remind me. Is the jerk still going?" Chloe knew the 'jerk' her friend was referring to was Adam and she nodded. "Do I have to go? Rachel whined.

Chloe laughed. "Yes. Suck it up, it will be fun."

Rach rolled her eyes. "We'll see about that."

* * *

It was Wednesday morning when Chloe finally received the phone call she'd been waiting all week for. Randy was at the gym getting a workout before their flight in a couple hours and Chloe had been doing some last minute packing when her phone rang.

"Hello?" She greeted distractedly as she ran her eyes around the hotel room to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

"Hello Chloe? This is Principal Turner." Chloe's breath caught in her throat.

"Principal Turner, hi, how are you?" She asked politely.

"I'm doing well thank you. And you, how are you?"

Chloe was trying to gauge something from the other woman's tone of voice. She didn't sound too distraught, which could be a good sign but it could also be a bad sign. "To be honest, I'm really nervous." She said and gave a shaky laugh.

Principal Turner laughed too. "Well then let me put you out of your misery and get straight to the point of my call." She paused. "Chloe, the board and the administration have talked things over and I'm happy to say that Emerald Elementary would be more than honored to offer you a job for the upcoming school year." Chloe was silent in shock as she took things in. "You get to keep your job." The principal added in case the message wasn't clear.

"You're kidding," Chloe breathed, unable to believe it.

Another laugh from the principal. "No, I assure you I am not kidding. Chloe, what you said at that meeting really resonated with the group and you changed their minds. You were great."

"Oh thank god." She said with a hand over her heart. "Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me, you did this all on your own. I'll be seeing you very soon." The principal said before hanging up.

Chloe found it hard to contain her excitement but she didn't want to celebrate alone so she planned to wait until Randy returned from the gym. "Randy, I got the call from the school and it's good news," She practiced calmly as she paced the floor.

However, all that practicing was worthless because the minute the door knob turned and Randy was in sight, she shouted, "I get to keep my job!"

Randy looked at her in surprise before smiling and opening his arms so she could embrace him. "I knew you could do it," Randy murmured affectionately into her hair when she was locked tightly in his arms. "I'm so proud of you."

She lifted her face and pressed her lips to his sweetly. "I'm so happy, I get you and my job."

He grinned instantly. "I'm happy for you baby." He said before picking her up and carrying her to the bed. "You deserve a celebration." He said and she giggled as he dropped her gently on the bed before covering her body with his and attaching their lips once again.

* * *

"I just don't understand why you won't switch seats with me." Rachel said to John. They were sitting on their plane and had all been conveniently been seated next to each other. Rachel was, much to her dismay, situated between Adam, who had the window seat, and John, who had the aisle seat, and who apparently wasn't willing to switch seats with her when she asked him just a minute ago. The lovebirds Randy and Chloe were across the aisle from them sitting next to some college kid.

"Two reasons," John said holding up two fingers. "One," He ticked off. "You are the smallest of the three of us so it makes sense for you to take the middle seat. And two, you don't need the extra room like I do." He said gesturing to his legs which were stretched on the side of the aisle.

She simply scowled at him, not having anything to say to him. She faced forward and just stared at the back of the seat in front of her. She was mad at John now so she couldn't look to her left and she certainly didn't want to turn her head to the right to look out the window because she didn't want Adam to think she was looking at him.

"I'll switch seats with you," Adam offered nicely.

"I'm fine," She said. Obviously he didn't get that the point of switching seats with John was so she didn't have to sit next to Adam. Unable to stand the boredom any longer, she grabbed the magazine she'd bought for later in the plane ride and opened it up to distract her.

John gave Adam a thumbs up over Rachel's head and Adam grinned back. Maybe the being a nice guy thing wasn't going to be so bad.

* * *

After Jessica got off work that day, she hustled home to see Chloe. She also couldn't deny that there was a small part of her hoping John was waiting for her at home, though she knew he probably wouldn't be.

"Hello? Anyone home?" She yelled out after walking into the apartment.

"In here!" Chloe yelled back from her room before appearing in the living room a second later. "Hey!"

Jess smiled and walked forward to hug her friend. "Hey you,"

"Guess what?" Chloe said excitedly. "The school called me today and I'm staying!" She said, not even giving her friend a chance to guess.

"Oh Chloe! That's great," Jess said before pulling her friend into another hug.

"I know, I'm so excited!" She said with a laugh. "And hey I bet you're excited too, for your vacation."

"So excited. So, um, everyone here now?" She asked, subtly asking if John had made the trip over.

Chloe smiled at her friends obviousness. "Yeah, everyone's here, especially a very excited champ." Jess laughed and then turned towards her purse when she heard it ring. "Who is it?" Chloe asked after her friend pulled her phone out and look at the screen.

Jess blushed as she looked up at her friend. "John,"

"Oooh!" Chloe cooed playfully. "What'd he say?" She asked walking over to read the text message over her friends shoulder. "How about that dinner you owe me tonight?" She read aloud. Jess's blush intensified as she remembered telling John she would take him to dinner the next time he was in town. "Oooh," Chloe said again. "Looks like someone's got herself a date tonight!"

Jess turned around. "But you just got home, we should eat together."

"Please, don't be ridiculous Jess!" Chloe said. "We have all week to spend time together. You go out with John. Besides I'm having dinner with my parents tonight."

"Right," Jess said with a nod. "Weekly family dinner."

Chloe nodded. "Except, Randy's coming this time."

Jess's eyes widened. "Wow, really?"

Another nod. "I'm nervous as hell but Randy actually seems excited about it. But don't you change the subject!" She scolded her friend playfully. "You text John back right now and tell him yes."

Another blush from Jessica. "Ok, ok." She quickly typed a reply and showed it to her friend. "Good?"

"Sounds great, pick me up at eight." Chloe read aloud and nodded. "That's good but add a couple x's and o's at the end." Jess laughed but complied. "Now, let's go find you a dress that will knock John out!"

* * *

**A/N: Love you guys! You're reviews seriously make me smile, thank you. **


	45. Chapter 45

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 45_

"Hey you," Chloe greeted Randy later that night as she held open her apartment door. She looked down and smiled wide. "Hi Lindsey!" She said, bending down to give the young girl a hug.

"Hi Chloe," Lindsey said with a smile, sinking into the hug. "I've missed you,"

"Aw, I've missed you too honey," Chloe said, truly touched by her words. "Come on in," She said, gesturing for the two to come inside.

"Do you have a bathroom?" Lindsey asked.

Chloe smiled. "Of course, come on I'll show you were it is," She said before wrapping her arm around the girl's shoulder and leading her to the bathroom. After making sure Linds could find her way back to living room, she walked back to where Randy was.

He immediately wrapped his arm around and pulled her close. "Sorry again about Linds. My parents are both sick and I didn't want to have to ask Sam to watch her." He said, still very angry at Sam's recent behavior. "You sure you don't mind her coming?"

Chloe put an affectionate hand on his cheek. "Like I told you earlier, I don't mind at all and before you say anything, I already informed my parents that she was coming too and they are very excited to meet the both of you."

He grinned. "Great," He said before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her lips.

"Aw, look at the happy couple," Jess said as she walked out of her room and witnessed the couple making out.

Chloe and Randy broke apart and looked at Jess. "Hey Jess, how are you?" Randy asked, his arm still wrapped firmly around Chloe's waist.

"I'm doing really well," She said with a genuine smile. Chloe had spent most of the day helping her pick out an outfit for her date later tonight and she'd locked herself up in her room for the last hour promising herself that she wouldn't come out until she had perfected the loose curl look on her hair as well as the perfect smoky eye.

"Jess, you look amazing," Chloe commented as she surveyed her friends hair and makeup.

"Yeah, John's not gonna know what hit him," Randy added in his two cents.

She smiled proudly. "Thank you, I have to admit, I'm pretty nervous."

Randy gave a little laugh. "Trust me on this, John is just as nervous if not more nervous than you are." That made Jess relax a little knowing she wasn't the only one.

She turned her head when she saw someone walk out of the bathroom. "Hi there," She said amicably.

Lindsey smiled shyly and walked over to her dad and Chloe. "Hi,"

"Linds, this is my roommate Jessica," Chloe introduced.

Jess crouched down and offered the girl a hand to shake. "It's very nice to finally meet you Lindsey, I have heard a lot about you."

She blushed and shook the woman's hand. "Nice to meet you too. I like your name."

"Thank you, I like yours too." She glanced up at Randy and Chloe, who were both smiling, before looking back at Lindsey. "You are absolutely precious."

Another blush. "Thank you."

Randy smiled at their interaction. "Alright ladies, we should probably head out,"

Chloe nodded before walking over to the door where she'd left her shoes to put on before they left. She slipped into black pumps that accented her wine colored wrap dress perfectly. "See you later Jess,"

"Bye guys, have fun!" Jess yelled out as the trio left.  


* * *

"I don't know why you are so nervous." Randy said about halfway to Chloe's parents house. He reached one hand out over the center console and gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

She rolled her head to look at him and let out a sigh. "I can't help it. I haven't really introduced my parents to that many guys I've dated."

Another squeeze of the hand. "It's going to be alright. They're going to love me." He said and shot her a grin.

She rolled her eyes and glanced back at Linds. "How do you live with this guy?" She joked.

Linds smiled. "I love him,"

"Good answer Baby," Randy said and smiled at her through the rearview mirror.

"Turn up here." Chloe directed him. A few minutes later they pulled up in front of her parent's house. The three of them walked up the walkway and once they reached the door, Chloe opened it. "Anyone home?" She called out, stepping inside and gesturing for Lindsey and Randy to do the same.

"Oh, they're here!" She heard her mom say to her dad in the other room. A second later, her mom was rushing to greet them, her father following more slowly. "Chloe, dear!" She greeted and wrapped her arms around her.

Chloe smiled. "Hi mom," She walked over and gave her dad a hug too. "Hey dad." She turned to face Randy and his daughter. "Mom, dad, this is Randy," Her mom immediately stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug.

"I'm so excited to meet you!" She said excitedly.

Randy laughed. "Me too, I've heard a lot about you." He turned to Chloe's father and offered a hand to shake. "Sir, nice to meet you."

He smiled and shook his hand. "Likewise. Nice handshake you got there." He commented after they released their hands.

"Thank you,"

"And, this is Randy's daughter Lindsey. Linds, this is my mom Jean, and my dad, Joe"

"Nice to meet you," Linds said shyly, sticking close to her dad's side.

"Hi Lindsey," Chloe's mom smiled. "It's so nice to meet you too."

"You know," Joe started causing the young girl to look up at him. "Us adults are probably going to be talking about boring things while we wait for dinner to be ready. What do you say we sit you down with a movie?"

She instantly lit up. "I say yes." She made a move to follow the older man but she stopped first to check with her dad.

"Go on baby," Randy encouraged and she smiled and ran off.

Randy followed to make sure she settled in ok but Chloe followed her mom into the kitchen. "Oh Chloe, he is so handsome." She commented.

Chloe smiled. "Isn't he?"

A few seconds later, Joe and Randy walked into kitchen. Randy immediately walked over to where Chloe was sitting on a barstool and wrapped an arm around her. "Thank you guys for allowing me to bring Lindsey along. I don't know if Chloe explained things to you but my family are the only baby sitters I trust and both my parents are sick and my siblings are out of town so I had no other option." He said, feeling bad that he had been forced to change their plans so last minute.

"Oh nonsense Randy we are happy to have her here." Jean said as she poured them all a glass of wine.

"And I'm sure we have plenty of things upstairs in Chloe's old room that will keep her entertained if she gets bored." Her dad added.

"Oh, I didn't even check to see if she liked steak." Her mom piped in concerned. "If not I think we have an oven-baked pizza or something in the freezer."

Randy held up a hand in protest. "No need, steak is perfectly fine. She's not picky."

"Great," She said as she took a sip of her wine. "So Randy, you're a professional wrestler?" He nodded in confirmation. "How did you get into that?"

He shrugged. "Well honestly it was kind of like second nature. Both my grandfather and my dad were professional wrestlers so I always thought it was my destiny."

"Wow," She said impressed. "What a legacy you've made."

He grinned. "I really owe all my success to them."

"You're too generous," Chloe's dad inputted. "I've been watching the show since Chloe started working there. I don't really know all the in's and out's of the business but I can tell you have a natural talent."

"I appreciate that sir," Randy said honestly.

"Enough of this sir business. Call me Joe."

Chloe smiled at how well this was all going. Way better than she'd thought it would go.  


* * *

"See that wasn't so bad," Randy said as he leaned in close to Chloe's ear. They had just finished dinner and the two had volunteered to do the dishes while Chloe's parents were playing a round of Candyland with Linds.

She looked at him over her shoulder and smiled as she continued to wash the dishes. "You were right. I mean I'm not saying I expected you guys to fight or anything, I guess I'm just a little surprised at how easily they welcomed you. Seriously it's like you all are old friends." She narrowed her eyes at him playfully. "Are you sneaking behind my back with my parents?" She joked.

He grinned and put down the wash cloth and the pan he had been drying and stuck his hands in the air guiltily. "You caught me. I come here at least twice a week."

Chloe laughed. "Thank you for coming tonight, I really appreciate it and so do my parents." She said before leaning over to give him a kiss. She'd expected it to just be a small peck but the minute their lips touched, Randy wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She laughed as she held her arms out, not wanting to get her wet and soapy hands on his clothes. Eventually he pulled away and trailed kisses to her neck and down her collarbone.

"What do you say after we head out of here, we go to my place for a little nightcap." Randy suggested, pulling back to look in her eyes.

She grinned. "A nightcap or something else?"

"A nightcap and something else." He said with a wink.

"Perfect. The faster we clean these dishes the faster we can get out of here." She said, turning back to the sink. Fifteen minutes later after they were done washing the dishes, they walked out to the living room where her parents and Linds had started another game of Candyland. "We're probably gonna get out of here once this game is over." Chloe said taking a seat on the couch next to Lindsey.

"You've got a shark here Randy," Joe said, gesturing to Lindsey who was smiling.

Randy laughed, sitting down next to Chloe, reaching a hand over to rest on her knee. "Don't I know it. Linds can beat anyone at Candyland, huh Linds?"

She blushed and nodded shyly. Chloe grinned and reached over giving the girl a little side hug. After Linds won the game again, they all gathered by the door to say bye. "It was really lovely meeting you Randy, please come back soon." Jean said, pulling him into another hug.

"I would definitely like that," Randy commented and pulled back. He reached out to shake Joe's outstretched hand.

"I have to admit Randy, we were more than a little concerned about Chloe when she told us about dating you and the internship. But I think I speak for Jean and I when I say it's easy to see she's in good hands. You're a good man," Joe said approvingly. Chloe smiled. He turned to Linds. "And you, I'm going to practice my Candyland skills and next time, I want a rematch."

The little girl laughed before walking forward and hugging the man. "You're on." She pulled back and turned to Jean. "It was very nice meeting you too. Thank you for having me over." She said politely.

Jean grinned and hugged the girl. "Absolutely, hopefully we can see each other soon."

Linds looked at her dad before looking back at Jean. "I hope so too."

After Chloe gave both her parents a hug goodbye, the trio made their way to Randy's car. The ride back to Randy's was silent and halfway there Chloe looked back and saw that Jess was asleep. "You're parents were really good to her, thanks." Randy said when he saw her look back.

"I think they really like her."

Randy nodded and grabbed her hand. "I'd like to come back again." He said honestly, not wanting to beat around the bush. He'd had a great time with her parents and Lindsey even seemed to like them.

Her breath caught in her throat. She hadn't expected it but as she thought back on the evening, she realized it made sense. She cared about him and vice versa and her parents had welcome Randy and Linds with open arms. She didn't want to get ahead of herself but it almost felt like she had a family...of her own. She started to feel herself choke up and she held back the tears. "I'd like you to come back." She said giving his hand a loving squeeze.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all for your amazing reviews! Jess and John's date up next! (P.S. I officially have a thing for the Dudebuster Trent Barreta. He's a hottie. haha)**


	46. Chapter 46

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 46_

Jess was going to kill Randy. Right before he'd left to go to Chloe's parents house, he'd told her that John was just as nervous as she was. She had savored that information and was able to calm herself down knowing that she wasn't the only one feeling this way. But as she opened the door and saw a smiling, confident John Cena standing on the other side, she instantly froze up as she noticed no way was John as nervous as her! He was cool as a cucumber. And of course he looked as handsome as ever in dark designer jeans and a sharp navy blue button down. "Hi," She said, her nerves obvious.

He surprised her by reaching forward and pulling her into a hug. "Hey you," He pulled back still smiling and looked her over. "You look amazing." She was wearing a magenta satin top tucked neatly into a high waisted black pencil skirt with black pumps.

She blushed but somehow found herself relaxing as her fears were washed away. She'd been scared things would be awkward when they were face to face as opposed how comfortable they felt when they were talking on the phone. But she actually felt more comfortable now that he was standing there smiling at her. "Thanks, you look very handsome yourself."

"Oh well thank you," He said with a mock cocky grin. "These are for you." He said presenting her with a bouquet of an array of different flowers that she hadn't even realized he had been holding.

"Oh John, they're beautiful, thank you," She said taking them from him before giving him a kiss on the cheek. After she put the flowers in a vase with water, the two walked out of the apartment. "My car's this way,"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her in the other direction. "I'm taking you out, I'll drive."

"I thought I was taking you out," She teased.

He grinned down at her. "You were but what kind of guy would I be if I let you drive me around and pay for my meal?" She laughed. "So I've decided all you have to do is pick where we eat and then the rest is my responsibility."

"Sounds good to me," She said as John held open the passenger door for her. She thanked him and slipped inside as he shut the door before going over to the drivers side.

"So where to?" John asked as he buckled up.

"We are going to the best burger joint in St. Louis." She announced and gave him directions on how to get there. They fell into an easy conversation throughout the car ride and before they knew it they had arrived. They were seated almost immediately and both ordered a soda.

"So how've you been?" John asked after they placed their orders and were left alone.

She smiled at him. "Good, only one more day of work and then I am officially on vacation."

He grinned. "I gotta say I'm pretty excited to have you on the road."

"Oh yeah?" She flirted with a raised eyebrow. "You gonna show me some wrestling moves?"

He winked. "You bet,"

She blushed. "You know, I was actually kinda nervous about our date tonight." She said honestly.

He smiled at her comfortingly. "I was too,"

"What?" She asked surprised. "But you seemed so calm when you picked me up."

"Doesn't mean I wasn't a mess on the inside. You're not nervous anymore are you?" He asked.

She shook her head. "You put a girl at ease the minute you smile at her."

He lifted a brow. "Oh really?" He smiled again and she laughed. "Well I'm glad to hear that, you put me at ease too."

"Good," They dissolved into easy conversation as they ate their dinner and after they were done, John suggested they go to a bar and a get a drink.

They walked into a nearby bar and Jess clung to John's hand as he maneuvered them through the crowded floor to the bar. As he located an empty bar stool, he gestured for her to sit. "Sorry, Randy brought me here last time I was in town, I didn't think it would be this crowded on a week night." He said as wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned in close to speak into her ear.

She shivered at his closeness. "No problem," And it was no problem if it meant she got to be this close to John the rest of the night.

"What'll it be?" The bartender asked the pair.

"Beer?" John asked Jess. She nodded and he turned to the bartender. "Two beers, whatever you got."

"You want to sit?" Jess asked, feeling bad that John was just standing there.

He smiled at her. "What kind of guys have you been out with?" He joked. "First you want to chauffeur me around for our date and now you want me to sit while you stand." He shook his head. "Man, I must be spoiling you tonight."

She grinned. "You have no idea." Truth was Josh had never really taken her on a date. Well sure at the beginning of their relationship, but after he had her, whenever they went out, she was the one that drove and paid for everything. So John really had no idea just how much he was spoiling her. Just moments after their beers were set in front of them, one of the chairs next to Jess opened up so John took a seat.

"So I don't think we've ever really discussed what you do. I think I know the basics though, you sew right?"

She laughed. "Well it's a little more than that but yeah basically. I work at a local theater company with the wardrobe department. That's a lot of the reason I hate missing work. I like to see my project completely through, there is nothing I hate more than seeing someone else finish making my costume."

"Sounds like a fun job."

She nodded. "It's great. It's definitely not what I see myself doing for the rest of my life but I like it for now."

"What do you want to do?" He asked curiously.

She let out a sigh. "The million dollar question. You would think I would know by now considering I'm almost thirty but I don't really know. I have my degree in marketing so maybe something with that. But I do love baking, I wouldn't mind opening my own bakery."

He smiled. "Well, if it's not broke don't fix it right? Keep doing the theater thing until you're unhappy and then go where your heart takes you."

"Aw, aren't you all in touch with your feminine side," She teased as she poked his abs. Mistake. Sure she'd seen those abs on TV but to actually touch them was another thing entirely. It took all the strength she had not to throw her arms around him and beg him to take her home right now.

He laughed. "I just think your better off doing something your passionate about instead of just doing something to get you by."

She nodded. "Kinda like you and wrestling?"

"Exactly. So when am I gonna taste some of your baked goods?" He asked with a grin.

She grinned back. "Well, I'm sure I could whip something together tonight." She flirted.

He raised a playful brow as he leaned in closer to her. "Is that your subtle way of inviting me back to your place tonight?"

She shrugged. "Could be," She said as she too leaned closer. Just as their lips were about to touch, she heard an angry voice call her name. She whipped her head to the side and her eyes widened as she saw a very drunk Josh standing a few feet away. "Josh, what are you doing here?"

"Josh?" John asked in a tight voice trying to hold back the anger he felt for this man.

"What the fuck are you doing with my girlfriend?" Josh asked angrily to John.

"I'm not your girlfriend." Jess said.

Josh glared at her. "Shut up, no one was talking to you."

John instantly stood up and moved to stand in front of his date. "Whoa buddy, you don't need to talk to her like that."

Josh looked John over before looking back at Jess. "So you've been cheating on me huh? All that bullshit about me cheating on you and you've been fucking this guy the whole time?"

She wrinkled her forehead in confusion. "What are you talking about? I never cheated on you. Even if I wanted to how could I? The only time I would ever have time to sleep with someone else is after work and you lived with me!"

"Oh cut the crap Jess. So this is why you wouldn't give me another chance, you were seeing him?" He questioned as he glared at John.

She let out a groan of frustration and ran a hand over her forehead as she felt a headache coming. "Josh, this is ridiculous. You know that's not true. I didn't even meet John until after we broke up.

"Well you certainly move on fast then don't you?" He spat at her hatefully. "God, you really are a slut."

That was John's cue. "Alright big guy, why don't you get lost before you do something stupid." He said, gently giving him a push backwards.

"Get your fucking hands off of me!" Josh said as he knocked John's hands away. He looked the larger man over and scowled. "I've seen you on TV. You think you're so tough." John was trying very hard to keep his temper under control. The last thing he wanted to do was lose it in front of Jess. "You like her huh?" He asked gesturing drunkenly at Jess. "Well I wouldn't waste my time if I were you, she'd nothing but a slut."

And that was about all John could take. He reared his fist back before hurling into Josh's stomach making the small man curl over in pain. John grabbed a bill out of his wallet and threw it on the bar before grabbing Jess's hand and pulling her out of the bar. "God, how did you date that asshole?" He asked once they were outside.

"Momentary lapse in judgment." She answered.

They got back to Jessica's apartment and he walked her to her door. After she'd unlocked her door and opened it, standing in the door jamb, John standing in the hall, he ran an angry hand through his hair. "Jess, God, I'm sorry I lost like that back there but damn he was saying all that shit about you and I just couldn't take it."

She instantly pushed herself on her tiptoes and pushed her lips against his. John was definitely surprised at first but responded almost immediately as he savored the feel and taste of their first kiss. She pulled away a second later and smiled at him. "No need to apologize, it was actually kind of sexy."

He raised a surprised brow as a grin worked its way on his face. "Really?"

"Oh yeah. I've never had a guy defend me like it, definitely hot."

He stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "Well, would it make me sound sexier if I told you I've been waiting to beat the shit out of that guy since I heard he cheated on you."

She smiled. "Oh, definitely sexier."

"And I'm actually kind of glad we ran into the guy so I could snap some reality into him." He continued.

"Mmmm, stop." she said with a laugh as she pressed her lips to his once again. "Come stay with me." She suggested forwardly.

He looked at her surprised. "You sure?"

She grinned. "Well, I did promise to bake you something." She said though they both knew baked goods were the furthest from what they were going to do tonight.

He grinned back. "Well, I don't want you to break a promise on my account." He said before following her inside, swinging the door closed behind him.

* * *

**A/N: Amazing reviews last chapter, thank you! Don't worry, I am not by any means leaving Adam and Rachel out, just wait for the next chapter :) **


	47. Chapter 47

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 47_

Rachel opened her door and let out an annoyed groan. "What do you want?" She asked a grinning Adam.

"Now is that any way to greet a guest?" Adam teased.

She narrowed her eyes. "You're right. Hi Adam, won't you please come in?" She asked with absolutely no enthusiasm.

"I would love to, thank you. I love what you've done with the place." He said after he stepped inside.

"I haven't done anything with it." Rachel said confused.

Adam looked at her and smiled. "I know but that's a polite thing to say. I know you don't really know how to be nice but for future reference…"

She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "How do you know where I live anyway?"

He chuckled and ran a hand over his chin. "Well I have been here before. Remember that first night we-"

She cut him off. "Yeah, I remember, I just hoped you hadn't remembered where I live."

"Oh I remember. How could I forget where a beautiful woman lives?"

That earned another eye roll from Rachel. "Whatever, I just made some pizza, come get some." She said, showing him into the kitchen and gestured to where an oven-baked pizza sat on a butcher block. After she handed him a plate and he piled it up with slices of pizza, she lead him into the living room where she'd been sitting on the couch watching TV and eating dinner. "So what brings you by?"

"John and Randy are out with their girls and you're the only person in town that I know." He said before taking a bite of pizza.

"Aren't I lucky?" She asked sarcastically.

Adam's lips curved up. "You sure are. It's about time you started realizing that." She surprised Adam when she actually allowed herself to laugh at his joke. "So what are we watching?"

"It's some cake show marathon I flipped on." She answered as they both went silent eating their dinner and watching the bakery make amazing cakes. Once the episode was over they were both done with their pizza.

"Wow, that's pretty cool," He said as he pointed to the car that was made out of cake. "I wish I could do that."

"Yeah, it's crazy the things they can make out of cake these days." Rachel commented.

Adam looked at her and grinned. "Yeah but you probably have to know how to bake a cake first huh?"

She raised a brow. "Please tell me you are not saying you have never made a cake."

He shrugged. "Well sure I have."

"From a box?" She assumed. He nodded and she shook her head in disgust. "Come on, that is just not acceptable." She said and stood up motioning for him to follow her into the kitchen.

"What are we doing?" He asked as he watched Rachel rummage through the cabinets.

"You are going to make a cake. From scratch. And you are going to do it all." Adam didn't protest and waited off to the side until she had collected everything she needed.

"Alright so first we are going to mix together our dry ingredients." She showed him the measuring instruments he would need before telling him how much of flour, baking powder and salt he would need. Once it was all in a big bowl, she told him to mix it together.

"So you always have ingredients you need for cake lying around?" Adam asked as he stirred the mixture together.

"Yeah, it's nice to have everything here when you get in the baking mood." She answered before telling him to set the dry ingredients off to the side. Adam measured out shortening and sugar like she told him before using a cake beater to cream them together.

"Where'd you learn to bake?" He asked curiously over the loud mixer. This was actually kinda nice. Not how he saw his night going but it definitely allowed him to get to know Rachel better.

"Jess, She loves baking and she showed me all her cake recipes from scratch. I have them all memorized by now cause I make them so often. But I think I have them written down somewhere if you want one." She said and then mentally slapped herself. Can she really imagine Adam at home baking? No, definitely not.

Adam smiled at the gesture though he knew unless he was baking with this beautiful woman in front of him, he probably wouldn't be making a cake anytime soon. "If this is any good I might take you up on that."

She grinned. "Oh it's good."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, after Adam had mixed in all the other ingredients and evenly divided the mixture into two different round cake pans, the cake was in the oven to bake for forty minutes. "Alright, forty to forty-five minutes and the cake will be done." Rachel said after she set the timer on the oven. She turned around and squeaked when she found herself chest-to-chest with Adam.

Neither said anything and Rachel couldn't help but let her gaze dip down to his lips. She saw his tongue slip out and wet his lips. She gulped before returning her gaze back to his eyes. Her eyes slipped closed as she saw him lean in. Before she knew it, her lips were on hers. She couldn't hold back the moan that left her lips. Their lips hadn't been in contact in much too long. Her arms wound around his neck, pulling him closer. Adam snaked his tongue into her mouth, savoring her moan when he did so. He slid his hands to hips, lifting her up to sit her on the counter. When he felt her legs wrap around his waist and her hands at the hem of his shirt, slowly pulling it up, he tore his lips from hers. "Why do you do this to me?" He huskily asked as he hung his head.

"Do what?" She asked, lifting his face up to meet hers.

"You know where this headed. I can't do this if you're just going to regret it after." He said honestly. As much as he wanted it, he wanted her to want it too.

She gulped and dropped her eyes to his shirt that she had been pulling up just seconds ago. "And if I…won't regret it?" She returned her gaze to his when he didn't say anything. "I want this."

Adam had to resist kissing her. "How do you know this time is different from the others?" He asked both wanting to make sure and curious as to why she acts the way she does.

She let out a sigh. "Do we have to do this now?"

"Yes." He said without hesitation. He let out a sigh when she didn't offer up any explanation. He took that as his answer and reluctantly pulled away from her, turning to leave.

"Wait!" She suddenly called out. He turned to look at her, wondering what she was going to do. "Are you really going to leave if I don't confess how I feel about you?" She asked in surprise. He nodded and she let out another sigh. "Adam I like you, I really do. When we first met, oh my god, I was so attracted to you." She said earning a smile from him. "But damn I did not like you. Even though you are gorgeous, you just looked like a jackass. I was…well I am rude to you because I don't want to like you. You're the bad boy I've been falling for all my life and then they break my heart."

"I'm not-" He started but she cut him off.

"But as I continue to get to know you, I realize that you're not just the bad boy, you're sweet and caring. You're fun and exciting and hilarious." She smiled. "I really don't want to like you but I really do."

"So that's why you're mean to me?" He asked.

"Well that and it's just fun to fight with you." She said, allowing her hands to drop back down to the hem of his shirt.

He laughed. "Yeah I like fighting with you too, you're feisty." He paused. "So you really like me? You're not just saying that to get into my pants?"

She laughed. "I'm not just saying that. Do you like me?"

"Are you blind? Of course I like you."

She smiled. "Good, So…" She said and glanced at the time on the oven. "We've got a half hour to kill. Any ideas?"

He waggled his eyebrows. "Oh I got ideas. Hold on." He said as he picked her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her off to her bedroom as they occupied themselves while they waited for their cake to finish baking.

* * *

"Damn, thirty minutes goes by fast," Adam said as he and Rachel ran into the kitchen when they heard the timer go off. He watched her as she grabbed an oven mitt before taking the cakes out of the oven after checking to see if they're done with a toothpick. He couldn't help but smirk as he watched her move around the kitchen just wearing his shirt. They certainly had used their half hour wisely.

"Alright, we can make some butter cream while we wait for the cake to cool." Rachel said as she turned around and smiled as she saw him just wearing his jeans. "Come on," She said motioning for him to come over to her. "Don't forget this is your cake. You're making it all."

Adam came over and couldn't stop himself from wrapping her in his arms and laying a kiss on her lips. "Mmm, the cake can wait."

"Adam, come on. We're almost done. Just make the butter cream, ice the cake and then we're done and we can do whatever you want." She suggested.

His eyes twinkled. "Whatever I want? Alright, you said it." He said before following her instructions on making the butter cream.

It took them a little longer than necessary because neither could keep their hands off of each other but an hour later they sat on Rachel's bed with a large slice of cake for the two to share. "So, what do you think?" She asked as she ate a forkful of cake.

He nodded. "It's delicious."

She smiled. "Told you."

"But it's definitely not as delicious as you," He said, leaning forward to lick and kiss her along her neck.

"Adam," She said in a playful warning tone.

"Come on baby, we can come back to this later." He said as he grabbed both of the forks, putting them on the plate before stretching himself out on the bed to place the plate on the side table. In the process of getting the cake out of the way, he lowered himself on top of Rachel. He looked down at her smiling face and broke out in a grin. "Oops," He said, though he was definitely not sorry he'd "accidentally" got himself in this position. "Seems I've got myself into quite a suggestive position," he said before dropping his lips to kiss her collarbone causing her to groan. "I'll take good care you baby,"

* * *

**A/N: As always, I appreciate you're amazing reviews! Glad to read you guys are liking John and Jess, hopefully you enjoy this chapter too!**


	48. Chapter 48

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 48_

The next morning, Randy dropped Chloe off at her house a little after 10 so she could do some chores around her apartment. She hopped into the shower almost immediately after arriving home and when she got out, she pretended she didn't hear Jess talking to John as she showed him out. Chloe grinned. Seems their date went quite well.

After slipping on some yoga pants and a tank top, she left her bedroom, dragging a bag of laundry behind her. "Hey Jess," She greeted her friend who was sitting on the couch basking in her post sex glow.

Jess's eyes widened as she looked up at her friend. "Hey, when, uh, when did you get home?" She asked, suddenly worrying her friend had been here all night.

Chloe smirked. "Just got home a half hour ago, why?"

Jess saw the glint in her friend's eye and knew the gig was up. "Oh quit playing dumb. Before you ask, yes John spent the night and yes, our date was amazing."

Chloe laughed. "I'm glad, you guys are perfect for each other."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Jess said, standing up. "I gotta get to work."

She raised an eyebrow. "Running a little late are we?"

Jess blushed. "I called work and told them I was going to be a little late." She said before disappearing into her room.

Chloe smiled and resisted to doing a little dance. John was definitely good for her friend. Before him, no way would Jess ever take a week off work and no way would she go to work late. Not for was nothing less than a workaholic. But now it seemed after a couple weeks of talking on the phone, one date and one night of sex her friend was ready to make a change to allow someone into her life. She hadn't even done that for Josh. "Yeah," She mumbled to herself as she walked toward her washing machine and dryer that were hidden in a little side closet. "John is definitely good for her."

* * *

An hour later after Jess was long gone, Chloe was flipping through a magazine as she waited for her last load of laundry to be finished in the dryer. She stood up when she heard a knock on the door and stood in shock as she saw Sam standing on the other end.

"Can I help you?" Chloe asked emotionless after she got over her shock.

"I, uh…" Sam said, obviously nervous. "How are you?"

Chloe narrowed her eyes at the woman across from her, wondering what she wanted. "I'm fine. Is there something you needed?"

Sam let out a sigh. "I wanted to come here and apologize to you in person."

"Excuse me?" She asked, obviously surprised.

"What I did, kissing Randy when I knew he was with you, that was just awful and I'm sorry. I don't know what your situation with Randy is right now but I want you to know that he wanted no part in the kiss and I am the one to blame."

"No arguments here," Chloe commented.

Sam sighed. "I deserve that. I also owe you an apology for causing all that trouble with your job, it's just been really difficulty for me adjusting to having another woman in Randy and Lindsey's life. I know it's no excuse but..." She looked at Chloe waiting for some sort of comment but nothing came. "Listen, I understand if you can't forgive me but I hope that if you and Randy get back together that we can put this behind us for Lindsey's sake."

She was silent for a minute before nodded. "Randy and I have already worked things out and while I don't forgive you," She emphasized. "I have no intention of rehashing this. For Lindsey." She added.

Sam nodded. "Thank you, that means a lot and I know it can't be easy for you."

She just shrugged. "Randy told me that you were feeling insecure about Linds being around me." Sam nodded. "Listen, you should know that Lindsey adores you and even if I wanted to, which I don't, there is no way I could replace you." She wanted to make sure the woman understood because not only did she now want any more problems, but that had to be a tough thing to deal with and no matter how much she disliked Sam, she didn't want any mom to have to think she was second best in her kids eyes. "And neither Randy nor I would do anything to turn her against you, you have to know that."

Sam let out a little laugh. "Yeah easy to say but it's difficult when she comes home from Randy's and all she can talk about is how much fun you are."

Chloe smiled at the woman sadly. "I may be fun but I'm not her mom. She needs you. Plus whenever I see her she's always chattering about you. She adores you."

That seemed to lighten Sam up a little and she smiled a little. "Well thanks, good to know. Anyway, I have to go to work but I just wanted to apologize. I have been completely wrong in all this and I want you to know I'm going to be on my best behavior from now on."

Chloe nodded. "I hope so," She said before Sam waved and walked off. Chloe closed the door and shook her head in astonishment. She definitely didn't see that happening when she woke up this morning.

* * *

"Look what the cat dragged in," Randy said with a smile as John walked into the kitchen. "Someone's getting in a little late."

John rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

"So I'm assuming your date when well?" He asked.

John nodded. "Way better than expected. I thought it would be a little awkward at first maybe but it wasn't at all. She's a great girl." He looked around the room. "Where's Adam?"

Randy grinned. "Hasn't come home yet."

"Oh really?" John asked and instantly thought back to his conversation with Adam a few days ago about him and Rachel. Wonder if he's with her.

"Uncle John!" He heard Lindsey yelled as she ran into the room. "Where have you been?"

"Hey you, did you miss me?"

"Duh!" She said with an eye roll. "Dad said you were supposed to spend the night last night but you didn't," She put her hands on her hips. "Where were you?"

"Sorry Linds, I was with a friend." He said.

"I was going to ask you to listen to me read before bed." She was now into reading and she liked to read to someone right before she went to sleep.

"Aw I'm sorry. I would love to hear your read though, how about tonight?" He suggested and grinned when she nodded her head excitedly.

* * *

"Good afternoon gentlemen." Adam said as he waltzed into the kitchen a half hour later.

"Look who finally decided to grace us with his presence," John said.

Adam laughed. "I thought I'd give you some privacy with your ladies."

Randy rolled his eyes. "Alright, where were you Casanova?"

"Well, since you asked," He grinned. "I was with Rachel."

John wasn't too surprised but because Randy had no idea the two were anything but enemies, he raised a brow in surprise. "Seriously?"

Adam shrugged his shoulder. "What can I say? The ladies love me."

Randy narrowed his eyes. "No really, how and when did that happen? Chloe hasn't mentioned anything." He said, knowing she would if she knew there was anything going on between their friends.

"That's probably because she doesn't know." He sat down and explained things to his friend. "We've slept together a couple times. Nothing too serious but let's just say there was always a repeat performance."

"But, she hates you." Randy said simply.

"Yeah she did but I went to her place yesterday and I admitting to have some feelings for her and she admitted to having some feelings for me."

"You like her?" Randy asked. Damn, how had he missed all this?

"Yeah, I do." He said simply. Which was weird for him. There were no "I like her but…" or "I like her in bed,". Simply just he likes her.

"Hmm," He said in thought. "Well good for you man."

"Don't say anything though. We haven't really talked about what we are or anything so I don't know if she's telling Jess and Chloe." He said though he wasn't so sure his friends could keep the secret from their respective girlfriends, or in John's case, practically girlfriend. He was definitely going to have to talk to Rachel to figure some things out before his friends spilled the beans.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews, glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Aw, Sam's on her best behavior now. Just wanted to let you know, there are plenty of chapters left in this story but I'm definitely going to be winding it down here soon. It's so hard though, i wish these stories could last forever lol but this story is definitely coming to a close.**


	49. Chapter 49

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 49_

"Hello?" Rachel yelled out as she let herself in Randy's house.

"In here Rach!" Chloe yelled back. She followed the sound of her friends talking and smiled when she saw Randy, John, Chloe and Randy's daughter, Lindsey chatting in the kitchen.

"Hey, hope you don't mind I let myself in." She said, making her presence in the room known. She walked around and gave everyone a friendly hug. "I brought cake!" She said as she set what was left of the cake Adam made last night on the table. "Adam came over last night and said he'd never made a cake before so I showed him. We had some but it's still good." She said gesturing to the large slice of cake missing.

Chloe lifted a surprised eyebrow. "Adam went to your house last night? And he's still alive?"

Rachel laughed. "Yeah seems dumb and dumber are his only friends in town." She said pointing to John and Randy.

"Rach, this is my daughter Linds," Randy gestured to the young girl sitting next to Chloe. "Linds, this is Chloe's best friend."

Rachel smiled and stuck her hand out to the girl. "Hi Lindsey, nice to meet you."

Linds smiled. "Hi," She said and shook her hand.

"Chloe tells me you are a very good student." Rach said causing the youngster's cheeks to turn red.

Chloe grinned and wrapped an arm around Linds' shoulders. "Definitely one of the best."

Rachel looked around the room and frowned. "Where's your Neanderthal friend?" She asked John and Randy. Linds giggled at the description.

"You rang?" Adam asked as he appeared in the doorway. Rachel turned around and scowled at him. "Miss me baby? Sorry I had to use the little boys room."

She rolled her eyes and turned around as Adam walked further into the room. "I didn't miss you, I was just hoping maybe you'd gone home and wouldn't be joining us tonight." She said as she poured herself a glass of wine.

He laughed. "No such luck."

She turned around. "You know what, can I talk to you?" He nodded. "In private." Again he nodded and lead her to the sliding glass door that lead to the backyard. They stepped out into dark night and moved out of sight so no one could see them. She turned around and opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind but he obviously had other plans as he pulled her close and attached his lips to hers. Her eyes widened in surprise and she pushed him away. "What the hell? You left in the middle of the night without saying anything and now you're going to kiss me?" She asked angrily.

His face fell. "Didn't you read my note?" He asked worriedly.

She rolled her eyes and reached into her back pocket pulling out the piece of paper Adam had left on her pillow this morning before he left. "Didn't want to wake you. See you later," She read from the note. "My three year old niece can write better notes." She said stuffing the piece of paper back into her pocket.

Adam cringed. "So I haven't had much practice in the whole leaving notes thing. Listen, this whole thing is new to me. The fact that I wrote a note in the first place is new to me." She cocked her head. "I know that's no excuse and I can understand how you thought I left in the middle of the night but I didn't. I stayed until like ten this morning. I had to go, I promised Randy would help him buy stuff for tonight. I thought since I kept you up so late last night and you didn't get much sleep," He said with a grin as he remembered how he kept her busy. "I wanted you to get as much rest as you could." He said the tension begin to leave her body. He reached out and put his hands on her waist. "I promise I'll work on my note writing," He said and his grin widened when he saw her begin to smile. "Aw there's that beautiful smile. You forgive me?" He asked and when she nodded he took that as his cue that it was now ok to kiss her. So he did. When he pulled away, he pressed a kiss right next to her ear. "You don't regret last night right?"

She pulled away a little. "I told you I wouldn't and I don't. It actually feels nice to have come clean." She said with a smile.

He smiled too. "Good. So should we tell everyone tonight?"

She cringed a little. "Um, maybe not tonight." He gave her an unhappy look that told her she needed to explain. "It's just…I haven't really told Jess or Chloe what's been going on between us and I don't want to come out of nowhere with this. I'd like to tell them first so it won't come as such a shock."

He nodded. "Alright, no problem but you might want to tell them soon cause John and Randy know."

"What?" She asked surprised. "How do they know?"

He shrugged and linked their fingers together. "When I got back today they were both in the kitchen. It was either tell them the truth or tell them a lie that would eventually come out."

She nodded. "Alright, I'll tell them this week then. Hopefully the boys don't break the news first though." She thought of something and immediately frowned. "Oh, I forgot about something."

"What?" Adam asked.

She looked at him and smiled innocently. "Well, I sorta have a date with Stephen Saturday."

He raised a brow. "Just tell him your taken."

She tilted her head to the side. "Adam, I'm not going to bail out on him." She squeezed his fingers when she saw him start to get upset. "Relax. I'll go out with him and I'll tell him I'm seeing someone. He'll understand."

"I don't like this," Adam said softly though he knew Rachel was the kind of girl that did what she wanted no matter what he thought, and that was one of the things he liked about her.

"I know I'm sorry." She said as she reached up to caress his cheek. They spent a couple minutes talking softly and sharing small kisses before deciding to head in before their friends started getting suspicious. After they walked back inside everyone turned to look at them. Rachel smiled. "We're alive, no blood was shed. Just had a little talk." She said John and Randy exchange knowing grins and she had to try really hard to not roll her eyes at their immature reaction.

"She wasn't too mean to you was she Adam?" Chloe asked concerned.

Adam smiled and walked over. "She tried to make me cry but I told her what I tell all bullies. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." Everyone laughed, even Rach joined in a little.

* * *

An hour later Jess knocked on the door of Randy's house and waited for someone to let her in. She had had to stay at work a little later than she thought because she wanted to finish the costume she had been working on before she left for a week. Then she'd gone home and quickly changed into a simple black dress and pumps. She smiled as Randy pulled open the door. "Sorry I'm late!" She said as she hugged and gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek. "Did I miss anything?"

"Only a couple of near blow fights between Adam and Rachel." Randy said as he hung up her coat and purse.

She laughed and followed Randy. "Hey everybody," She greeted when she walked into the living room.

"Hey!" Everyone yelled and stood up to greet her. John waited for last and held on a little long. When he pulled back they smiled at each other and he pulled her over to sit next to him on the couch. "You made good time, dinner's almost ready."

She smiled up at him as she heard everyone else dissolve into their own conversations. "What'd you do today?"

He looked down at her hand that she'd subconsciously set on his leg. He reached down and grabbed it, holding it as his fingers played with hers. "Helped Randy go shopping, played a couple games of go fish with Lindsey, daydreamed about a beautiful woman I had an amazing time with last night." He said as he raised his eyes to meet hers and he shrugged. "You know, the usual." She blushed and buried her face in his shoulder.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later they were all sitting around the dining table, passing food around to load up plates. "I know we were supposed to have a barbecue and eat outside and all but I didn't realize I was out of propane." Randy explained as he passed a bowl of salad to Chloe after dishing up his plate and Linds'.

"How'd you make these then?" Rachel asked as plated up her steak.

"Got a little grill type thing next to my stove." He answered.

"Well that certainly comes in handy," Jess said as she accepted the plate of steaks from John, who sat across the table from her. She felt like a giddy little teenagers when their fingers brushed and their eyes met.

"So Linds, I completely forgot to ask you how Disney World was." Chloe said to Lindsey who sat across from her.

The girl instantly grinned. "It was so fun!"

"Did you ride all the rides?" Adam asked from the seat next to her.

She looked at him. "Uncle Adam, that's like not possible."

He laughed. "Oh, well, excuse me,"

As dinner went on, there were a few different conversations going on at once, Jess, John and Adam were talking about something and everyone else were talking about something else. Rachel watched Adam, who was seated across from he, as he laughed at something John said. She got an idea and looked down at her plate innocently as she cut up her steak all the while slipping off her heels. She slowly extended her leg and looked up when her foot came in contact with Adam's calf. His eyes darted to her in question but when he saw the devious look in her eye, his eyes darkened. She locked her eyes on his as she trailed her leg up farther. Before her foot could reach the seat of his lap and her obvious destination, he reached under the table and got a hold of her foot. He sent her a warning look and she just smiled.

* * *

After everyone was done with dinner, John and Jess disappeared with Lindsey to put her to bed as promised by John. Rachel and Adam volunteered to do the dishes so the couple could have some alone time. Rachel walked into the kitchen in front of Adam, each of them carrying two plates. After they set the plates down on the counter top, Rachel turned around right into Adam's arms. He growled as he kissed her. "That was evil." He said huskily as he trailed kiss to her neck.

"What was?" She asked innocently.

He looked at her with a glint in his eyes. "Who knew feet were so sexual?" He asked and she laughed before he leaned forward again and her laugh turned into a moan.

* * *

"Aw, she is so sweet," Jess whispered to John after Linds fell asleep and they were standing outside her door.

"I know, I got home this morning and she told me she had wanted me to listen to her read tonight. I couldn't resist," He said with a smile.

She smiled back. "I see why," He reached out a pulled her close.

"Alone at last." He whispered into her ear before pressing a sweet kiss on her ear. She turned her face and their lips connected. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers played with the bit of hair at the base of his neck as they kissed lazily. They pulled apart and they were both panting heavily though neither seemed to notice. "Stay with me tonight."

She smiled. "I wish I could but I've got a lot of packing to do."

He pouted. "You sure that can't wait until tomorrow?"

"Believe me, I wish it could. But Chlo said we're leaving tomorrow night and I've got a lot to do." His pouted deepened and she leaned forward and kissed him. "But maybe if I finish early we can do something until we have to go."

He nodded. "Sounds good." He said and then grinned. "Just because you can't stay over doesn't mean we can't at least mess around until you have to go," She laughed and motioned for him to lead the way to the guest bedroom he was using.

* * *

"This was nice," Chloe said through a yawn as she and Randy sat on the porch swing in his backyard.

"It was, we should do this more often." He suggested as he kissed the top of her hair.

"We're lucky our friends get along so well." She said.

"They do more than get along." Randy said with a chuckle.

"Seriously, John and Jess couldn't stop making googly eyes at each other." She said. Randy was going to say something about Adam and Rachel too but he wanted to give Rach a chance to tell her friend. His girlfriend suddenly got serious and pulled away from him a little to get a better look at him.

"What's up?" He asked.

She frowned. "Sam came to see me today."

Randy's eyes darkened in anger. "What'd she do?"

She set a calming hand on his chest. "She didn't do anything. She came to apologize for everything."

His eyes softened a little though he was still skeptical. "Hmm…"

"Yeah, definitely came out of nowhere. I told her that I appreciated her coming over but I didn't forgive her for all the trouble she's caused us but I would set it aside for Lindsey's sake." She said as she sank back into Randy's embrace.

"That means a lot to me." Randy said, tightening his hold on her.

"Well you and Lindsey mean a lot to me." She said as she leaned up to press a kiss on his lips.

He sighed into the kiss and closed his eyes in peace. There was nothing better than just sitting with Chloe wrapped in his arms. A man could get used to this.


	50. Chapter 50

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 50_

"Mommy!" Lindsey yelled after Randy opened the door, inviting Sam inside. Sam smiled as she leaned down to embrace her daughter.

"Hey you, did you have fun with dad?" She asked, tucking a piece of the girl's hair behind her ear.

Linds nodded eagerly. "So much fun but I missed you."

She smiled, "I missed you too."

"Hey baby, why don't you go on upstairs and get your things," Randy suggested. The little girl nodded before heading on upstairs. Once she was out of sight, Randy turned to his ex. "Chloe told me you visited her."

Sam sighed, expecting this, and raised her hands up in peace. "I don't know why she told you but I just wanted to go there and apologize in person. I feel really bad about what I did and even though I know an apology isn't enough, I just wanted to make a gesture." She looked at Randy with a frown. "When I kissed you, I honestly didn't know you loved her. If I knew, I never would have done it. I just didn't think it was that serious," She held up her hand when she saw him about to speak. "I know that's no excuse but," She shrugged, not having any other words.

Randy nodded and stuck his hands awkwardly into his jeans. "Well, for what it's worth, I appreciate it. You didn't have to do that but I know it meant a lot to Chloe, knowing that you feet remorseful for what you did. It will definitely be a step so she's not living her life in suspicion of what you're going to do to her next."

Sam let out another sigh. "That's exactly why I did it. I'm not an evil, conniving person, you know that."

He frowned. "I did know that but then you went and pulled that stunt," He shot back before letting out a breath. "Listen, let's just set this situation behind us. We don't need to be fighting about it."

She nodded. "But, just so you know, I am really sorry, I don't think I've told you that yet but I am."

Randy nodded as he heard Linds coming back downstairs. "I appreciate that, thanks,"

* * *

"Are you sure you have to go back to work soon?" Randy asked Chloe the next night after their plane ascended into the sky. The whole gang was all there, Chloe was sitting in the middle of Randy and a sleeping Adam and on the other side of the aisle, John was sitting between Jess and Rachel. "We could probably talk to some people get you a permanent spot."

Chloe smiled up at her boyfriend. "As much as I love the experience and being able to see you every day, teaching is my job. I love it, I can't leave."

Randy pouted and rested his forehead against hers. "I knew you were going to say that but a guy can try can't he?"

She pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. "A guy can definitely try."

He kissed her again and reached one hand over to hold hers. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too, very much." She rested her head against in shoulder and held on to him tight.

Randy closed his eyes at the feel of her closeness. Damn, it was a hard pill for him to swallow that come a week or so when he left to go back on the road, she wasn't going to be joining him. He had been thinking things over for a long time now and he had a feeling he had to make a big step in their relationship. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was a good direction for them to head, especially now that they were going to basically have a long distance relationship four days a week. He tried to think positively about how she would react when he asked.

* * *

Rachel lolled her head to the side. Next to her John and Jess were all snuggled up on each other, whispering to each other. Though she understood they had a new, budding relationship, it was quite annoying to purposely be ignored. She looked at Adam who was sitting across the aisle and smiled as she saw he was fast asleep. She looked past him and understood why he was so out of it; Chloe and Randy were having their own little love fest that Adam hadn't been invited to.

She grinned knowingly as she remembered last night. Rachel had left Randy's right after Jess and Chloe did and right after she pulled into her driveway, she saw headlights coming up right behind her. She'd known it was Adam before she'd gotten out of her car. Both John and Randy already knew about their little "relationship" so she didn't feel the need to hide it so she'd invited him in. Though she could tell from the dark look in his eyes that he would have come in whether she liked it or not. And she definitely liked it.

They'd managed to get to sleep at a reasonable time no thanks to Adam and his teasing ways. And when she woke up in the morning, she was pleasantly surprised to find Adam laying next to her. He smiled down at her and said, "I stayed this time." She couldn't think of a better way to wake up. After fooling around for a half hour or so, Rachel kicked him out so she could actually get things done before their flight.

She looked at Adam once more to confirm that he was still asleep and when she saw he was she decided to close her eyes and try to get some shut eye herself.

* * *

Adam felt Rachel's eyes on him. He knew she was watching him and nothing would make him more happy than to take her hand and drag her into the airplane bathroom and introduce her to the mile high club. But he knew he couldn't do that. Their friends were there and nothing would raise suspicion more than seeing him taking Rachel to the bathroom with him. But damn did he want to. He knew to resist the temptation he couldn't even look at her. If he did, hell, all bets were off. One look at her and he knew he'd be done.

He couldn't wait until Rachel talked to her friends and explained what was going on to them. Then they could tell everyone that they were going to start dating and see where things go. The whole keep it a secret thing had been fun for a while until things changed. He'd done something he hadn't done in years. He developed feelings for the girl. He couldn't believe how easily the feelings had come on. He couldn't even count the number of times he had wanted to be interested in a girl but for some reason he just couldn't find a connection. Then Rachel comes along and she's all he thinks about, all he dreams about, hell, she's just flat out on his mind twenty-four seven.

He couldn't stop going over the other night when she'd actually confessed to caring about him. He knew she liked him but he didn't really know to what extent those feelings went. He couldn't stop wondering if she felt for him the strong feelings that he had for her. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter. He couldn't think like that. He just keeps thinking in circles and it drives him crazy. She likes him, she wants to get to know him better and start seeing him. That was enough for now.

* * *

Jess laughed and slapped a hand over her mouth to quiet it so she didn't wake her sleeping friend on the other side of John. "No way, you can't be that bad!" She said to John.

He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to tell you. I honestly have lost at to my own ninety year old grandfather at Wii bowling a least a dozen times."

She laughed again and once she was done, she massaged her cheeks at how bad they hurt. "Ugh, you're killing me," She said as she threw her hand over to slap him. John caught her hand and intertwined her fingers with his. She looked at him and smiled peacefully. "Can I tell you something?" She asked in a soft voice, not really wanting anyone else but John to hear what she had to say.

"Anything," He said as he used his thumb to rub over the back of her hand.

"I can't remember a time when I have enjoyed myself this much with a guy." She whispered as she lifted her hand to cup his cheek. "I usually either feel really uncomfortable or annoyed or awkward. But with you it's just so natural and you make me laugh and smile and…" She paused, not knowing if saying the next part would scare him off. She decided to just go for it. "And you make me so happy."

That instantly brought a smile to John's lips and he reached his own hand over to cup her cheek. He guided her face closer to his so he could kiss her. "I'm glad I could show you how you've been meant to be treated you're whole life." He said, kissing her again. He pulled away so there was barely any air between their lips. "And just for the record, I can't remember a time when I've been this comfortable, natural or happy with a woman either." She smiled against his lips before closing her eyes and kissing him, using her tongue to deepen the kiss.

* * *

After their flight landed and the group made their way to the hotel, there was nothing Chloe wanted to do more than to lay down in bed and curl up next to Randy. The minute she walked into her hotel room, she walked right up to the bed, dropped the handle on her suitcase and collapsed onto the bed. She heard Randy laughing at her and she simply rolled over and held her arm out to him. "Come join me,"

He smiled and set his own suitcase off to the side before lying down next to her. "You don't have to ask me twice." He immediately pulled her against his side and let out a sigh of content. They were both silent for a long period of time, Chloe with her arms wrapped tightly around Randy's midsection and Randy running his hand up and down her back soothingly. "Baby?"

"Mmm?" She mumbled as she moved her face so she could look him in the eye.

He gulped. Now was his chance. "I've been thinking…it sucks that we're not going to be seeing each other as much as we are now." She nodded her head in agreement. "And I love you so much."

She smiled softly. "I love you too."

He relaxed at her words and grinned. "I'm glad to hear you say that. So I was hoping you would maybe consider moving in with me."

She lifted a brow in surprise. "Wow," She said not expecting him to say that.

"I just think you know when I come off the road, it'd be great if you were waiting for me at my house, well hopefully our house. We would see each other so much more and-"

She cut him off, lifting her finger to his lips. "Hey, it's not me you have to convince." She said with an encouraging smile. "I would absolutely love to move in with you. But are you sure? I mean that's a big step. You sure you don't want to think things over, maybe ask Linds what she thinks?"

Damn he just wanted to kiss her at how thoughtful she was. "Linds is going to love it, I know she is. And I have never been more sure of anything in my life." He said before leaning forward and kissing her. "I'm so glad you want to live with me, it makes me so happy."

She chuckled a little. "Secretly I think I've been waiting for you to ask me for a while now."

He pulled back and grinned. "You have, have you?"

She nodded. "Mmhm, you waited any longer I probably would have asked you to move in with me."

He laughed and nuzzled her neck. "Mmm, I can't wait to have you moved into my house, in my bedroom."

She pulled his head back a little bit. "Our bedroom,"

A predatorial smile spread over his lips. "Our bedroom," He confirmed.

"I can't wait either," She said as she hugged him close, excited to enter the new chapter of her life.

* * *

**A/N:So another chapter, this one's just a little fluff, but don't worry there is definitely more to come. Thanks for all your wonderful reviews! :)**

**Ah! Did anyone see Curt Hawkins vs. Trent Barreta tonight on Superstars? So good! I know some of you didn't agree with my love for Barreta haha but I can't help it! I'm hooked!**


	51. Chapter 51

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 51_

Adam leaned against the door jamb Saturday night as he watched Rachel getting ready in front of the bathroom mirror in a sexy little red dress. Now if the circumstances were different, he would have loved to see her all dolled up ready to go out...except she wasn't going out with him, she was going out with Stephen. "You sure you want to go out with this guy?" He asked. She smiled at him through the mirror as she applied a layer of mascara. "Cause if you're having second thoughts, it's not too late to change your mind."

Rachel twisted the wand in the mascara before setting it back in her makeup bag. She turned to Adam, loosely draping her arms around his neck. "I know this isn't easy for you." She said to which Adam nodded. "But I admire you for letting me make my own decisions." He rolled his eyes. "Seriously! It wouldn't have felt right if I were to just call him up and cancel our date, and then be like 'oh by the way, I'm dating Adam, who you probably think I hate,'" Adam looked at her and rolled his eyes again, though this time in an 'ok, I get what you're saying but I don't like it' kinda way. She pressed a kiss to his cheek as she wound her arms tighter around his neck. "So thank you, cause like I said this probably sucks huh?"

He pulled back a little and made a confused face. "What? Watching your girl get ready to go out on a date with another guy?" He shook his head. "No way, it's great!"

She tilted one side of her mouth up. "Ok, ok, I get your sarcasm,"

Adam rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "But I get why you want to do this so I won't make a big deal out of it. But can you do me a favor?" She nodded. "Don't make any more dates with anyone else? I don't want you to make this a habit."

She laughed and kissed him. "Well it won't be easy but I'll try not to," She joked before pulling out of his arms and turning back to the mirror to fix her hair.

Adam continued to watch her get ready as she did her hair and touched up her makeup. "Can I ask you for another favor?" He asked.

"What?" She asked, looking at him through the mirror.

"Can you please put on something else?" He asked.

She smiled as she turned to face him. "Something else?"

He nodded. "As much as I love that dress, I'd much rather you wear it for me, not this guy," He said. "This," He said gesturing to the dress she was wearing. "is way too sexy for him."

Her smile widened. "Aw, is someone jealous?" He shot her a look and she chuckled. "Aw, alright you little baby. I'll put on something else."

"Thank you, maybe shoot for cute, not sexy." He suggested helpfully as he followed her out into the main room. He gulped when she stopped in from of the closet and pulled off her dress. He ran his eyes over her underwear covered body and had to remind himself he couldn't jump on her because she was going on a date in a few minutes. She looked around the closet momentarily trying to find something to wear before pulling on a pair of jeans and a turquoise and purple silk chiffon wrap top.

"Is this better?" She asked after she pulled on black leather ankle boots. She stood up straight and smiled.

Adam looked her over. "The problem is you look sexy in anything. How about some sweats and a hoodie?"

She tilted her head to the side. "You're a funny guy."

Adam laughed and put his hands on her hips, pulling her in close. "All right, all right, this is much better. Thank you for changing." He said pressing a kiss to her lips.

"Mmm, no problem," She mumbled against his lips.

Adam sighed into her kiss. "I feel so badass, making out with a girl before she goes on a date with another guy."

She laughed and pulled him closer. "Well how would you feel if I came back to your room after my date?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

His eyes darkened. "I would feel like the ultimate stud. I'll tell John to get lost," He said referring to John who was his roommate this week.

"Perfect," She said before pulling away. "I better get going, I told Stephen I'd meet him in the lobby in a couple minutes." She said as she grabbed her black clutch. "Stay out of trouble," She said to Adam with a playful grin.

"Don't make any more dates with guys that aren't me," Adam said back with a grin.

She laughed. "You got it,"

* * *

"Why am I so nervous? We're just watching a movie in his hotel room." Jess said to Chloe as she nervously combed her hair.

Chloe laughed. "You're nervous because you really like him. But don't be so nervous! You know he likes you too, just go with the flow."

Jess rolled her eyes. "Yeah easier said than done," She looked down at what she was wearing and frowned. "Think I should change?"

It was Chloe's turn to roll her eyes. She stood up and walked over to her friend, putting her hands on her shoulders, forcing Jess to look her. "You've changed like a dozen times. Don't change again, you look great. Like you said, you're just watching a movie, no need to freak out."

Jess let out a breath and ran a hand through her hair. "You're right, you're right." She smoothed her hands over her jeans and pulled her gray t-shirt down a little bit. "Ok, I'm gonna get going. Thank you for letting me come over and beg for your help." She gathered all the clothes she'd brought over to her friends room. "And sorry for scaring Randy off,"

Chloe laughed. "No problem, you probably did him a favor, gave him an excuse to go back to the gym today."

Jess smiled. "All right, I'll see you tomorrow, wish me luck!"

"Luck!" Chloe yelled after her friend as she left.

Jess stopped by the hotel room she was sharing with Rachel to drop her clothes off and noticed her friend was noticeably absent. Then she remembered her friends saying she had a date with some guy named Stephen. Chloe looked at herself in the mirror one last time before leaving the room, heading towards John's room. She let out a couple of breaths before finally raising her hand to knock on the door. It didn't take long for John to answer the door and she smiled when she saw him dressed in jeans and a tee. "Hey,"

"Come on in," John said, pulling the door open wider.

"Rooming by yourself?" She asked curiously and hoped she didn't sound like she was looking for an invitation to stay the night but…she wouldn't be opposed to it.

"Unfortunately I'm staying with Adam." John said as he led her over to the couch. "He disappeared while I was in the shower earlier though. I wonder where he's gotten off to." He wondered aloud.

Jess sat down next to him and crossed one leg over the other and before she had the chance to say something the door opened and Adam strolled in. He smiled when he saw Jess. "Hey Jess, how's it going?" He tossed his keycard on the table and walked over, slouching on the other side of Jessica.

"It's going good, you?" She asked politely, inwardly hoping he didn't stick around while she and John watched a movie.

He smiled her. "Eh, I've been better." He looked from her to John. "What are you two kids up to tonight?"

"Watching a movie," John said as he turned on the TV. "Want to join us?" He asked, though he really just wanted his friend to get lost.

"Why not? I've got nothing else to do," Adam said as he slipped off his shoes and socks before resting them on the coffee table comfortably.

Jess looked from Adam's feet to John, silently asking if he was really going to stay. John shot her an apologetic smile and nodded. She nodded but let out a sigh of disappointment. He instantly felt bad for even trying to be polite and inviting his friend to join them. He'd been counting on his friend getting lost but apparently he had other ideas. He reached over and wrapped his arm around Jess's shoulders, pulling her close. "We can escape to your room if you want. You said Rachel's on a date right?" He whispered into her ear once the movie started.

She let another sigh and shook her head. "No that's ok," She whispered back. As much as she wanted to just be with John, she would feel bad ditching Adam after they invited him to stay. She saw John didn't really believe her so she leaned forward kissing his cheek. "Really, it's ok," She said before resting her head on his shoulder.

Adam laughed out loud at the preview was playing. "Shit dude, we got to see that one." He said, totally oblivious to the conversation the two had just had.

* * *

**A/N: As always, thanks for reading and for all your wonderful reviews! More very soon, next chapter Rachel's date with Stephen. :)**


	52. Chapter 52

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 52_

Rachel walked out of the elevator and looked around the lobby for Stephen. She smiled as she saw her date sitting on one of the couches looking down at his phone as his fingers typed away. He looked up as she made her way over and smiled at her, standing up as he slipped his blackberry into the back pocket of his jeans. "You look gorgeous." He commented as she reached him and he pulled her close for a sweet embrace and a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," She said back.

"You ready to get out of here?" He asked as he put a hand on the small of her back, ready to lead her out of the hotel.

She nodded. "Where are we going?"

"Well, I made reservations at a nice restaurant downtown," He said as they began to weave their way through the parking lot.

"Not too nice I hope," She said, gesturing to the jeans she wore. Though it wasn't her clothing she was worried about, she didn't want him to go to through all that trouble when she had to break the news to him about Adam.

He smiled at her. "Don't worry, we'll fit in just fine."

* * *

Rachel looked around the dimly lit bar and grill Stephen had taken them to before looking back at her date with a grin. "Good choice,"

He chuckled a little. "Glad you approve. I'm feeling quite confident that we won't have any interruptions like we had last time."

"We can only hope." She replied. They both looked over the menu and each decided on what meal they wanted. After they put in their order with their waiter, they were able to give each other their full attention.

"So you said your friend came on the road for a week?" Stephen asked to get some conversation going.

She nodded. "Yeah, Jess, she finally gave herself a break. It's about time, the girl works harder than anyone I know; she deserves it." She smiled as she thought of something. "Chloe and I have been trying for who knows how long to get her to take a vacation but the answer is always no. Well, she met John Cena a few weeks ago when John was visiting Randy and they've been talking ever since. I think he had something to do with her coming here."

He smiled back. "Sounds like it. She sounds like a workaholic, John's the same way. They'd probably work well together,"

"I completely agree. She's dated some shitty guys in the past so it's nice to see her interested in someone who is actually good for her, ya know?"

"Yeah, it's hard to find someone actually worth your time." Stephen said with a smile as he looked at Rachel. She gave a slight smile back, feeling shittier than ever. Maybe she should tell him now. But she wanted to wait until after so she didn't ruin the night.

"So you have a good week at home?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, did the usual, get in good workouts, catch up on some sleep and study up on past matches."

"That's all? You didn't go out with friends or anything?" She asked, now concerned for his social life. That sounded a lot like Chloe during the school year. School, prepare for school and grade school stuff.

He shrugged. "Sometimes I do but I'm really focused on being the best I can be right now. Sometimes it's nice to watch matches so I can improve."

"You're a hard worker." She commented.

He smiled. "Well I definitely did my fair share of thinking about our date." This earned another awkward smile from Rachel. Damn him for being so sweet and damn her for being so caught up in Adam. If Adam hadn't come along, she could say without a doubt she could have fallen for Stephen.

"So you live in…Tampa?" She asked simply because of the wrestlers she'd met, the majority lived in Tampa.

He shook his head. "St. Augustine, huge difference from home but I actually kind of like it. How's St. Louis?"

She smiled thinking of her hometown. "I love it. It's really the only place I've ever lived so one day I would like to live somewhere else. Maybe the west coast or something, I've only been there a few times to visit Chloe when she went to UCLA. But for now St. Louis is it for me. It's where my family and close friends are."

"Have you ever been out of the country?" He asked curiously.

She nodded. "Once. After high school graduation a bunch of us girls went to Mexico for a week. I spent the majority of the trip drunk off my ass. It was great." Stephen laughed.

"You got to get out there and travel more." Then he paused and smiled sheepishly. "Well I guess you will now that you're with the company. Even though the traveling can get a bit rough with our schedule, it's one of my favorite aspects of my job. There is just so much out there to see and it's amazing to have the opportunity to do so."

She resisted letting out a sigh of how dreamy he was. "So did you start wrestling in Ireland?"

"Actually, I started out in New Jersey. I got a little neck injury that sidelined me for a bit. A couple years later I was able to get back into the business and I started wrestling in Dublin. I stayed there for a while before moving over to some British promotions before finally landing in the WWE." He finished his story with a smile as he remembered the long way he'd come.

"Quite a resume you've got," She joked.

"That's nothing compared to some of the guys'," He commented with a shake of his head.

"Well, I have a feeling you'll be sticking around for a long time. Creative has so many different ideas for you,"

He leaned forward with a grin. "Want to share?"

She smiled back. "You know I can't. Besides, nothing's set in stone, just ideas being tossed around. Point is they can't get enough of you."

"And here's hoping they never do." He said as he raised his glass for a toast.

* * *

The minute Jess disappeared from view as she entered the bathroom, Adam leaned over to talk to John in a low voice. "Hey, I'm gonna need you to find another place to sleep tonight. I'm going to need the room."

John looked at his friend like he was crazy. "For what?" He was slightly annoyed that Adam had stayed throughout the whole movie and he hadn't made a move to leave yet and now he was calling dibs on their hotel room.

Adam grinned. "Rachel," He simply said.

John let out a groan. "When are you guys just going to stop sneaking around?"

"Trust me, I'm working on it. Rach wants to talk to Chloe and Jess first." He explained in a whisper, not wanting Jess to overhear.

John let out a sigh. "Fine. But can you maybe do me a favor and get lost for a while?"

Adam wrinkled his brows. "But…why…" He asked confused. And then it hit him. "Shit man, was this a date?" John nodded and Adam shook his head in disappoint. "Then why the hell did you invite me to watch the movie with you guys?"

"I was being nice, you asshole." John said, chucking a pillow at his friend.

"How about next time you kick me the fuck out?" Adam suggested as he stood up to leave. "I don't want a reputation as a third wheel dude!"

John laughed. "Whatever, when should I be out of here?"

Adam looked at the clock in thought. "Maybe an hour?"

He nodded. "All right, I'll text you when I'm gone."

"Thanks man," He said shaking John's hand. "I'll see you later, you have fun tonight." He said and laughed when John threatened to kick his ass. He walked to the door at the same time the bathroom door opened. "Hey Jess, I've got to get going. Thanks for letting me hang out with you guys,"

She smiled at him. "No problem," Once Adam was gone she turned to John and laughed.

"Sorry he's such a pain." John apologized as he stood up, walking over to her.

"No, it's cool, I didn't mind at all." She smiled shyly. "But it would have been nice of it to be just the two of us."

John smiled back and nodded, reaching out to rest his hands on her waist. "Well that just gives us a reason to have another date again soon."

She grinned. "Yeah, I guess it does."

* * *

"Um, listen Stephen, there is kind of something I need to tell you." Rachel said to Stephen suddenly. It was after dinner and they had decided to go for a walk in a nearby park. She just couldn't put it off any longer.

He cracked a smile as he faced her. "Uh-oh, that doesn't sound good."

She shot him a sad smile. "I really like you," He let out a sigh, seeing where this was going. "And you are a great guy. Seriously any girl would be lucky to have you."

"But not you?" He asked.

She shook her head and looked down before glancing back up at him. "This might sound a bit strange to you but I have feelings for Adam." Yes, he definitely looked shocked. "And I've recently found out that he has feelings for me too so we're going to give that a shot. But I honestly feel terrible." She said raising a hand to hold over her heart. "If things had been different…" She trailed off, thinking. "If things had been different I think we would have really worked out."

Stephen was silent for a while before speaking. "I'm definitely surprised. You and Adam…how did that happen?" He asked curiously. It was one thing to be dumped. It was quite another to be dumped for a man he thought she strongly disliked.

She let out a sigh. "We hooked up a couple of times and then this week, he was visiting Randy and…we just kind of talked things out."

He thought this over before nodding. "Well I can't say I'm not disappointed and a little hurt."

She frowned and reached for his hand, taking it as a good sign when he didn't pull away. "I'm so sorry, I never meant for any of this to happen. I didn't even want to like Adam, like as a person, so imagine my shock when I realized I had feelings for the guy." Stephen couldn't help but crack a little smile.

"Like I said I'm disappointed, I really liked you." He said, looking at her sadly. He looked away from her for a minute as he rubbed a hand over his chin. "But you know, if we're being honest…I think even if we had gone forward with a relationship of some sort, it wouldn't have worked out."

She furrowed her brow. "It wouldn't have?"

He smiled at her and shook his head. "I think we're at different points in life. Talking to you earlier," He began as he rested her hand on his bicep as he led them back in the direction of the car. "I realized that I'm not ready for a relationship. This business is my life right now. I eat, sleep and breathe wrestling. I don't have time for love." He looked at her, seemingly content with them no longer having a romantic relationship of some sort. "Maybe in a couple years, once I feel I have secured my spot with the company I could really commit to someone." He grinned at her. "But if things don't work out with you and Adam, come see me in a couple years."

She laughed. "Absolutely. But in the meantime…can we just be friends?"

"I think that'd be great," He said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, as they walked in silence just enjoying each others company.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you guys like this chapter, not exactly what I had in mind but I liked it. Thanks for all of you who continue to read and review, I really appreciate it!**


	53. Chapter 53

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 53_

After Stephen and Rachel finished their walk through the park, they made a quick stop to get some ice cream, which Rachel insisted on paying for, before Stephen walked her back to her room. Rach gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before going into her room and letting out a sigh, relieved that the hard part was over. Now all she had to do with let her friends in on her relationship with Adam.

She immediately changed out of her clothes and into some black yoga pants and a sweatshirt. She looked at her phone and saw Adam had sent her a text letting her know she could head over to his room when she was done. She smiled as she thought of seeing him again even though she'd only seen him a couple hours ago.

She grabbed her room key and her cell phone before leaving her room and making the short walk over to Adam's room. He opened the door shortly after she knocked and took it as a good sign when he saw her smiling face.

She walked inside and he pulled her against his body. She tilted her head up, allowing him to kiss her deeply. She let out a moan as he broke the kiss and pulled her over toward the bed.

Only when they were both laying down, snuggled up against each other did Adam speak. "So…how'd it go?"

She smiled against his chest. "Better than expected."

"Meaning…?" He asked.

She chuckled and ran her hand up and down his taut stomach. "Meaning the only guy I'll be going on any dates with anytime soon is you."

He grinned and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Music to my ears." She laughed and angled her head so she could look at him and press a kiss to his lips. "So when are you going to talk to Chloe and Jess?"

She groaned. Though she didn't think her friends would have a problem with her dating Adam, she knew they were going to do the whole 'why didn't you tell us sooner' thing. "Tomorrow. onight I just want to lay here with you."

He let out a sigh as he pulled her closer and she cuddled further into his chest. "Sounds perfect,"

* * *

When Rachel walked into her hotel room the next morning, she was greeted by Chloe and Jess. She felt like a teenager coming in after curfew only to find her parents waiting to scold her.

"And where have you been all night Missy?" Chloe demanded with her arms crossed over her chest.

Rach let out a cross between a groan and a laugh. "Actually, that's kind of something I have been meaning to talk to you about."

Jess lifted a brow. "Please share,"

Rachel walked over and sat down next to her friends. She thought over how she was going to word it before clearing her throat. "Well, as you both know Adam and I have had a…rocky friendship,"

"Oh my god!" Chloe exclaimed, her hands flying up to cover her mouth. "What did you do to him?"

Rachel's eyes widened. "What? I didn't do anything to him, my god, what do you think of me?"

Chloe let out a relieved breath as Jess laughed at her friend's reaction. "Sorry, you just said Adam and I assumed the worst."

"No kidding," Rach said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Anyway, Adam and I have found ourselves in some…questionable positions-"

"You slept with him!" Jess asked in shock.

Rach glared at her friend, just wanting to finish her story. "Yes, we slept together and um…this weekend we talked things through and we're going to give a relationship a try."

Both of her friends' eyes were open wide in shock. "Wow, you and Adam?" Chloe asked.

"You are going to give a relationship a try between…the two of you?" Jess asked.

"Yes, me and Adam," She smiled her friends. "I know this is kinda sudden to you guys but…I don't know, I really like him. He's the complete opposite of the kind of guy I wanted to find for myself but every time I see him, or see his name light up on my phone, or hear someone mention his name, I just can't help but feel warm all over." She let out a sigh and looked at her friends. "And I'm not making any sense am I?"

Jess and Chloe exchanged smiles, knowing what their friend was going through, as they both felt that way as well. "Trust us, you are making perfect sense," Jess said.

"We're just surprised that's all. I mean you guys certainly hide your feelings and relationship well, I sincerely thought you two hated each other," Chloe said and then laughed. "I mean, just a second ago I thought maybe you hurt the guy."

Jess and Rach laughed. "But if you like him, that's all that matters." Jess said. "Though I do wish you would have told us earlier."

Rachel rolled her eyes, expecting that reaction. "I know but I wasn't even sure how I felt about the guy. I wanted to tell you guys before we, like, go out in public together as a couple. I didn't want to blindside you guys."

"Well thanks Rach, we're happy for you!" Chloe said giving her a hug. "It's about time you found a man."

Jess nodded in agreement as she hugged Rach. "Yeah and Adam's a good guy."

She smiled. "I know," She said before letting out a sigh of relief as she leaned back on the couch. "It feels so good to have everything in the open."

"So you were with Adam last night?" Jess asked with a grin.

"Yes, and I have a feeling you weren't here alone." She shot back and smiled when her friend blushed. "Adam told me he told John to find another place to sleep and something tells me he might have stayed here."

Chloe laughed and poked Jess. "Well? Did he?"

Jess let out a groan. "Yes, yes he did." The girls erupted into giggles and were quiet for a while after they calmed down.

"Well, as long as we are all announcing something," She turned to her friends and grinned. "Randy asked me to move in with him."

"What? Chloe that's great!" Rach said.

She beamed. "Yeah, I'm so excited."

Jess pouted. "Now who am I gonna room with?"

"Oh you'll find someone, no problem," Chloe reassured her. "I mean we haven't really talked like details about when I'll move exactly but don't worry, I'll keep paying my half of the rent until you find someone."

She still pouted. "I'm gonna miss you. It was so nice living right across the living room."

Chloe smiled and hugged her friend. "Aw, I'll miss you too Jess but we'll live like five minutes away."

Jess cracked a smile. "Well, I guess it won't be so bad."

"Yeah, we'll help you move in too, it'll be fun." Rach said which launched the girls into an hour-long chat of details about when she should move and some interior designing she could do at Randy's place.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this one's a little short guys but the next bit works better in a chapter together. I'll update again in a couple days and Ahhh only four or so chapters left! I know, so sad! Thanks as always for your wonderful reviews! :)**


	54. Chapter 54

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 54_

The next day, the whole creative team was gathered around the table for their regular pre-taping meeting. During these meetings they went over what was going to happen in the show later and made any corrections if need be. After that Diana would go over who should be working on what storyline, hand off new assignments and answer any questions the staff had. Then she usually dismisses every one off to work, sending one of the interns to go pass out the scripts to the superstars and divas.

"Welcome back everyone," Diana said with a smile as she did every meeting on Monday. "We're going to start this meeting off with some sad news," She turned to face Chloe and gave her a sad smile. "This week is Chloe's last week with us. I think I speak for everyone when I say please come and visit," Chloe smiled as everyone spoke up, echoing Diana's words. Chloe promised she would come around and see everyone very soon. Diana then launched into new assignments and went over some things they had to improve on in future storylines. Towards the end of the meeting, she began to reiterate what everyone was working on. "And as you have all noticed, Greg is absent. Unfortunately he had appendicitis this weekend so he is going to be off for a few days recovering." She looked down at the folder in her hands. "In the meantime, Rachel, you're going to be taking over Greg's assignments." Rachel looked up in surprise and confusedly accepted the folder Diana had passed over to her. "Here's some of his notes and ideas if you want to use it. Alright everyone, let's get to work."

Rachel looked down at the folder and her eyes widened. "Um, Diana?" The woman looked at her. "This is a storyline for Randy and Nexus,"

She nodded and raised a confused eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

Rachel laughed nervously. "Well, I mean these are main eventers, shouldn't I be taking on something smaller? Shouldn't Chrissy be getting this story?" She asked, referring to her co-worker Chrissy who often handled main events.

Diana pursed her lips in thought. "Let me ask you something Rachel, do you think Chrissy is a better writer than you?"

Rachel furrowed her brow. Was that a trick question? "Well, no,"

Diana grinned. "Me neither. Listen, Rachel, maybe this job isn't operated the way some of your past jobs have operated. But let me clear up some things, you got hired here for a reason, we already know you can write and you do it well, otherwise you wouldn't be here right now. Chrissy isn't above writing a storyline for rookies, and you aren't below writing for main eventers." Well, yeah, when it's put like that it makes sense. "You already proved why we should hire you, now you just need to prove why we should keep you. And you can do that writing for the Undertaker or, say one of the NXT divas. The only reason thus far you've been working on the stories that don't get as much hype is because you're new here and we hadn't really had anything available; people here usually stick with writing the same characters. Hell, Greg's been writing Randy's bits since he left Evolution. You could probably argue that Greg is the viper."

They both smiled and Rachel nodded, now understanding. "Ok, well, thank you. I'm gonna go get to work."

"Great," Diana said back before they both did their work.

Chloe walked up to Rachel's desk area where she was writing notes. "So I hear you're writing Randy's storyline," Rachel looked up at her friend and nodded. "How about you give him that belt?"

Rach smiled and shook her head. "We'll see how things go but I am not just going to give him the title because you're my best friend and you're dating him."

Chloe pouted. "Fine, you're no fun." She said before walking off to deliver scripts.

* * *

"Wow, this is amazing," Jess said in awe. John had introduced her backstage to one of the wrestler's wives, Kristen DiBiase, and the two had gone out to the arena together to sit in the family section where the wrestler's families and girlfriends usually sat.

Kristin laughed and nodded. "It really is; is this your first time coming to a live event?"

She nodded as she ate some of the popcorn that she'd bought herself earlier. "This weekend at the house shows I just stood backstage and I thought that was pretty crazy. But John insisted that I have to watch the show from the crowd, and wow, he was right; this is something else."

Kristin smiled at the girl and grabbed a piece of popcorn for her. "So have you and John been dating long?"

Jess blushed. "Well, actually we only just went out first date last week." Kristin raised a surprised eyebrow and Jess launched into the story of how the two had met when Randy and Chloe began dating and how they spoke over the phone before finally going on a date. "So I've decided to take a week off and since both my friends are here and John, I decided this would be fun." She turned her body in to face the other woman. "So your husband is Ted?" She asked to make sure she had remembered correctly. Kristin nodded. "You'll have to point him out to me. I'm still new to this whole wrestling thing and I've only watched it once so I pretty much don't know who anyone is."

Kristin smiled knowingly. "I know how that is. Ted and I met in high school," She began.

"Wow," Jess commented.

Kristin laughed. "Anyway, he was a huge wrestling fan and his father wrestled so when we started dating I began to watch with him and it took me forever to remember who everyone was and who was a bad guy and who was a good guy and what all the rules were. Trust me, eventually you'll catch on."

Jess smiled back. She sure hoped she had a chance to get used to all this. She actually felt kind of silly sitting in this family section as she wasn't even sure she was John's girlfriend. Sure, it definitely felt like it what with all the PDA and attention John paid to her and all the time they spent together, but they'd never really had that conversation so you could never be too sure. She let her insecurities slip away as the lights dimmed and the pyro's went off, signaling the start of the show.

* * *

"Oh my god, that was just ridiculous!" Jess gushed to John after she'd made her way backstage after the show and found her way into his room.

John laughed as he pulled his t-shirt over his head. "Glad you liked it."

"Liked it?" She questioned. "I loved it, seriously what an amazing feeling. And I was just sitting in the crowd! I can only imagine how it is for you each time you walk out there."

He grinned at her, glad she enjoyed the show. "It's unlike anything I've felt before or will ever feel again." He walked up to her, pulling her close so they could share a sweet kiss. "I think I've created a monster."

She smiled back at him. "You have no idea, I could get used to this."

He laughed. "Alright come on you little wrestling fan, let's go get something to eat." He said as he grabbed his bag before escorting her out of his locker room so they could go grab some food.

* * *

Adam smiled as he walked into the creative office and saw that it was empty save for his, wait for it, girlfriend, who was bent over her desk, writing furiously. He walked closer and leaned down over her shoulder to see what she was writing. "You planning on sleeping here?"

She turned her head and grinned when she saw it was Adam. "Hey," She said and turned her chair so they could face each other.

"Hey you," He said pulling a chair up to sit next to her. "What do you got there?"

She beamed. "You'll never guess what happened today! I'm writing Randy's storyline with Nexus,"

"Wow, that's great," Adam commented, reaching out to hold her hand.

"I know I'm so excited." She seemed to only now notice that no one else was in the room. "Is the show over?"

He chuckled and stood up, pulling her with him. "Alright you little work-a-holic, time to call it a night."

She reluctantly packed away all her notes and allowed him to lead her from the room. "Sorry, I just really want to do well on this."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and used his other hand to hold her things. "Hey baby, no need to be sorry. I just want to grab something to eat with my beautiful girlfriend," He said, emphasis on girlfriend, making them both smirk. "then go to bed with my arms wrapped around my beautiful girlfriend,"

She let out a sigh as she thought of it. "That sounds great,"

* * *

**A/N: Another little shorty sorry! Thank you for all your amazing reviews! :) I love them.  
**


	55. Chapter 55

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 55_

The week progressed quickly and before Chloe knew it, her final week as a WWE creative intern was over. She, Randy, Jess and Rach made their way home on Wednesday; the latter two more than a little bummed that they had to part with their significant other. Bright and early Thursday morning Chloe and her friends set forth the task of help their friend move in with Randy. While Rachel ran a quick errand to get more boxes, Jess and Chloe were sitting on the living room floor sorting through whose items were whose.

Chloe and Randy had talked things over and had agreed it was better to get her moved in sooner rather than later. Randy wanted her moved in as soon as possible so whenever he came home from four days on the road, she'd be right there waiting for him. Chloe also thought it was a good idea so she could get all moved in before school started because moving while starting a new school year was just going to be too much.

"So where's your little boy toy anyway? Shouldn't he be helping us?" Jess asked as she went through their stacks and stacks of CD's.

Chloe smiled. "He's picking Linds up from Sam's then he's going to head on over to help make a couple trips to his house."

Jess pouted. "Look at you, already making a life without me,"

Chloe laughed. "Jess, seriously, you're going to be fine!"

"I know, it's just…" She pursed her lips. "I've been thinking lately." Chloe looked at her, telling her to go on. "With you moving out and Rachel on the road every week for work…well I was just thinking maybe I'm ready to try something new, you know, go somewhere I've never been and try to make a life there."

Her friend lifted a surprised eyebrow. "You want to move?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, I mean it's just something to think about."

They worked in silence for a few seconds both absorbed in their thoughts. "This doesn't have anything to do with John, does it?"

Jess flashed her friend a smile. "I hear Florida's nice this time of year,"

Chloe threw her head back and laughed. "Ok, but in all seriousness, don't move just to be closer to him. You've only just started to see each other."

"I'm not stupid Chlo, all I'm saying is what's wrong with trying something new?" Jess questioned.

Before Chloe could answer, the door opened and in walked Randy and Linds. "Hey girls, sorry we're late."

Linds ran forward and launched herself at Chloe. "Chloe! Dad says you're going to live with us now! Is that true?" She asked excitedly.

Chloe smiled. "Only if it's okay with you,"

She nodded. "This is so cool!" Chloe laughed as she stood up and greeted Randy with a hug and kiss.

"Hey you," She said as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He grinned back as he pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Hey Linds, how are you?" Jess asked Lindsey who sat on the floor next to her.

"I'm doing well thank you," The young girl said politely as she looked at what the older woman was doing. "What are you doing?"

"I'm helping Chloe pack so she can move in with you and your dad. Want to help?" Linds automatically nodded. "Alright, I'm going to go through these CD's and movies and I'll hand you Chloe's and then you stack them in the box." Linds nodded and accepted the small stack of CD's from Jess before putting them in the cardboard box next to her.

"So Linds are you ready for school to start?" Chloe asked as she and Randy sat on the couch.

The young girl turned and shot her dad's girlfriend a look of disbelief. "No, I never want to go to school again."

Chloe furrowed her brow and looked at Randy in confusion. Lindsey was one of those kids that actually enjoyed going to school and learning. Randy smiled. "Linds isn't too happy about the teacher she got assigned for the year." He explained.

Chloe turned back to the young girl as she worked. "Who'd you get?"

The girl let out an annoyed breath before answering. "Mrs. Fox! Can you believe that?" Ah, that explained it a little bit. She'd heard the kids complain about that teacher before, they'd even come up with a little rhyme. 'Mrs. Fox's the mountain that walks'. It was really very cruel but also pretty clever for a bunch of fourth graders to come up with. "Why can't you teach us instead?"

Chloe gave her a sad smile. "Aw, you know I would. But I've been teaching third grade since I started and there's no room for another fourth grade teacher."

"What's so bad about this Mrs. Fox?" Jess asked curiously as she continued to sort through CD's.

Linds turned to her and frowned. "Get this. She's going to make us do not only one speech, but two! Ugh, this year is going to suck."

The grown up's couldn't help but laugh a little. "Linds, I hate to tell you this, but it's not just Mrs. Fox that has you do speeches, it's a fourth grade requirement."

Lindsey turned to her, confused. "So all my friends will have to give speeches too?" Chlo nodded and suddenly Lindsey grinned. "I can't wait to tell everyone! They were making fun of me because I got her and now they're going to have to give speeches too!" Everyone laughed again at the girl's excitement.

"I think I'm going to go finish up packing my clothes," Chloe said as she turned to Randy with a smirk. "Would you like to join me?"

He automatically smiled back. "Yes I would," He said and then looked at Jess and Linds who were talking to each other as they packed up. "You girls gonna be ok if I go help Chlo?"

Jess grinned as Linds nodded. "Yeah we'll be good," Jess said.

Chloe grabbed her boyfriend's hand and led him into her bedroom, closing the door behind them. She turned around and she was instantly wrapped up in his arms. "Mmm," She moaned into his mouth as he kissed her.

They spent a good while smooching before finally pulling away. "So how was your last night sleeping alone?" Randy asked.

Well considering he was on the road four days a week, it wasn't going to be her last night sleeping alone, but she understood what he was saying. It was the last time she slept in a bed that was only hers. "Well it was lonely as expected," Randy grinned at her words. "How was yours?"

"Well when I imagined you lying in bed next to me it wasn't too bad."

She smiled as she wrapped her arms around him, cuddling into his frame. "You sure we're doing the right thing?"

"Without a doubt," He said with confidence. "I can't wait to come home after a long week on the road to find you making dinner in the kitchen, or maybe sleeping in our bed, or even just watching TV on the couch." He paused as he thought about all the possibilities. "Point is, I love you and I want you living with me."

She smiled and gave him a little peck. "I am so in love with you." After that the pair set out to actually pack her up. They loaded all her clothes and shoes in boxes and suitcases to transport easily.

A half hour or so later they heard the unmistakable sound of laughter. They both shared curious glances before opening her bedroom door to see what all the commotion was.

Smiles instantly appeared on Chloe and Randy's face when they saw both Jessica and Rachel tickling Lindsey mercilessly. "Take it back! Take it back right now!" Rachel said to the young girl.

"Never!" Linds yelled out through her giggles.

Jess and Rachel shared a look before moving their hands faster over the young girl. "Fine, you leave us no choice." Jess said.

"Okay!" Linds yelled. "Okay!"

"Say, "I love Justin Bieber!"" Rachel demanded.

Linds didn't say anything for a while but a minute later she broke down. "I love Justin Bieber!"

"Thank you very much," Jess said as she and Rachel both backed down. "Next time don't try to fool us,"

"Yeah, everyone loves Bieber," Rachel said.

"What are you two doing to my daughter?" Randy finally asked. The three girls turned to him in surprise.

"Dad!" Linds said, jumping up and over to him. "I told them I don't like Justin Bieber and they went crazy!" She said, still letting out a couple giggles here and there as she remembered the ticklefest she had just been a part of.

"You just admitted it, you do like him," Jess pointed out.

Linds smiled at the two women. "I just said that so you'd stop, duh!"

Rachel and Jess pretended to be outraged. "Why I've never!"

Lindsey giggled as she walked back over to the women, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "It's ok, one day you two will realize he's not all that,"

Randy and Chloe burst into laughter. "That's my girl," He said happily. The longer Linds stayed away from boys, the better. He'd just hate to have to RKO a boy that got too close.

"Alright, I think I'm ready to get some of this stuff out of here," Chloe said before the group began to move some boxes downstairs to Randy's car.

* * *

**A/N: Moving day! Well sadly, only one more chapter and then the epilogue. Love all your reviews, keep them coming!**


	56. Chapter 56

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Chapter 56_

"Hey Jess, it's me," John spoke into the phone, disappointed that he'd caught Jess' answering machine. "I just got off the phone with Randy and he told me he'd just dropped you off at home so I was hoping to catch you…" He'd tried calling her cell earlier but she hadn't answered. "Anyways just wanted to let you know I'm on my way over from the airport. We just couldn't stay away from you guys. It was supposed to be a surprise but Adam spilled the beans to Rachel," He said as he shot her friend a glare. "Just wanted to-"

"John, hey, how are ya?" A distinctly male voice said as the phone was picked up. All the muscles in John's body contracted as he recognized the voice.

"Josh," He said in a low voice. "What the hell are you doing there?"

Josh smiled as he turned and looked at Jess who was sitting at the head of her bed, her hands tied securely to the headboard. "She's a little tied up at the moment. Want me to take a message?"

"Where is she?" John demanded angrily.

"Oh calm down, she's just fine. We're just going to have a little talk." Josh responded as he smiled at his ex-girlfriend who glared at him.

John sat in the passenger seat of the car fuming. "I'll call you back," He said before hanging up.

Josh looked at his phone in surprise. Had he really just hung up? "Sorry babycakes, looks like lover boy isn't all that worried about you." He said as he walked closer to the bed. "He's got more important things to worry about than his flavor of the month."

"Fuck you," She spat at him as she struggled to get her arms free but it was impossible, he had tied her wrists too tight.

He just grinned. "This could have all been avoided if you'd just have given me the time of day. You wouldn't let me explain myself so I have to take things into my own hands."

She let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh please, enlighten me with your wisdom."

"Sure I made a mistake, I realize that but you weren't giving me what I needed; I was feeling neglected." Josh explained.

She rolled her eyes. "So let me get this straight. I gave you a place to live, food to eat, money to spend, all the amenities you could ask for…and yet what you needed most was sex?"

"Exactly,"

"Oh please Josh, you are so full of it. If you wanted something more you could have just asked, not go to some whore."

He shrugged. "You left me no choice." He opened his mouth to say something else but the phone rang. "Hello?" He answered.

"Let me talk to Jess," John demanded. He'd had to hang up the phone to collect his thoughts for a few minutes and tell Adam what was going on. Then he'd called Randy and told his friend to head back to Jessica's place, they would probably arrive there around the same time.

"I'm afraid I can't do that man," Josh said pretending to be sorry.

"John," Jess croaked out.

John's blood boiled when he heart her cry for help. "Hey," Josh said sternly to Jess. "You shut up."

She glared at her ex-boyfriend. "Why don't you bite me?"

He lifted an intrigued eyebrow. "Well that can definitely be arranged."

"You listen to me," John finally said, sick of listening to this guy berate his girlfriend. "You better not touch one hair on her head or I swear to God…"

Josh chuckled and rubbed his chin in amusement. "Don't worry, it's not the hair on her head I'll be touching."

Jess dry-heaved when she heard what he said. "Don't you fucking come near me," She said as she kicked her legs wildly as a warning.

"Don't make me come over there and tie your legs up too." Josh warned.

Her glare intensified. "If you touch me I will not hesitate to kick your balls so hard you can't have children." Even though this was a serious situation, John felt a sense of pride swarming through his chest as he heard Jess fighting back and not taking this weirdo's shit.

Josh just smiled at her as he walked closer, bending his head so her face was only inches from his. "If you kick me, I will not hesitate to rip you limb from limb."

Adam snorted as he heard what the man said and tightened his hands on the steering wheel as he flew down the streets. "That's a little drastic for a little kick in the balls."

John shot his friend a glare, telling him to shut up. "Bye John," Josh said suddenly before hanging up.

"Shit, he hung up." John exclaimed as he angrily tossed his phone on the floor of the car.

"It's alright man, we're just a couple streets away." Adam reassured his friend as he didn't even touch the brakes before making a right turn.

Normally John would tell his friend to slow the fuck down, but his speed was justified. They needed to get to Jess as soon as possible; who knows what that guy is capable of. They pulled up in front of her apartment and parked the car, not even caring that they were probably in a no parking zone. Just as Adam and John got out of the car, Randy drove up behind them, throwing the car in park before jumping out of the car, giving Lindsey and Chloe strict instructions not to get out.

"Hey, so did you call him back?" Randy asked as he approached his friend.

John nodded as he ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah but he hung up just before we pulled up. I have no idea what his intentions are but I heard her verbally fighting back so that's a good sign."

Randy nodded. "Chloe called the cops on our way over, they should be here soon."

Adam gestured to the door to the building. "Should we go inside?" The men nodded and they all turned to walk in, John leading the way. After climbing a couple set of stairs, they walked down the hall until they reached Jess' apartment and quietly pushed open the door. They looked around and didn't really see anything amiss except Jess' purse laying on the floor, probably where she'd dropped it when Josh ambushed her. All three of their heads turned to the direction of Jess' room when they heard a loud girly shriek.

In a flash they were at the door, kicking it open. They stopped when they saw Josh crouching on the floor holding his crotch in pain and Jessica sitting on the bed, her wrists bound, with a smug smile on her face. "You bitch!" Josh yelled out. "I told you not to do that!" He stood up unsteadily. "I'm going to kill you."

Jess' eyes lit up when she noticed the guys all walking toward Josh. "Sorry bud," John said as he slung an arm over his shoulders, I can't let you do that."

The anger in Josh's eyes washed away as he saw the man standing next to him. "I, uh…"

John just grinned. "Not so tough now are you?" He asked amicably before rearing his fist back and punching the guy in the stomach. Josh automatically hunched over in pain as he stumbled back a few steps. He hit a hard body and turned around hesitantly, afraid at who he'd see.

Adam kept a neutral expression on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "I hope I didn't hear you threaten my friend," Josh's eyes widened and before he knew it Adam's fist propelled forward, hitting Josh right between the eyes.

"Ah shit!" Josh yelled out as he reached his hands out to cover his face.

Randy, not wanting to be left out, reached a hand out and clasped it around Josh's shoulder, turning the man to face him. "No fair, you guys can't have all the fun." Randy said as he secured both hands on the man's shoulders, swiftly pulling his knee up to catch the guy in the gut John had just punched. "Damn that feels good." Randy said with a grin.

John turned to Jess and walked over to her, sitting down on the bed. "Damn you're feisty huh?" She gave a little smile. "Remind me to not piss you off."

"Hey," Adam said, interrupting their little moment. "The cops will be here soon, we're going to take this guy downstairs."

John nodded at his friend, turning back to face Jess. She tugged her wrists and sent him a pointed look. "Are you going to just sit there or untie me?"

He laughed and leaned his face closer to hers. "Well I don't know, maybe we should keep you like this and we can have a little fun." His voice was low as he pressed kisses across her jaw.

Her eyes fluttered closed on instinct. "How about you untie me now and we can revisit the idea at a later date."

His eyes flashed with lust before he nodded. He reached forward untying her wrists from the bed. Once she was free, John seized her waist in his hands and easily maneuvered her in his lap. She instantly melted into his touch and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so happy you were here."

"Me too, baby, me too." John said, his hands stroking her hair.

"You know," She said pulling back a bit. "We haven't really talked about we are to each other…"

He just grinned. "Well I didn't know we had to talk about it. You're my girlfriend…is that ok?"

She let out a sigh of content and she nodded with a smile. "More than ok," She said before pressing her lip to his.

* * *

Ten minutes later, after John and Jess had a little intimate moment between the two of them, they walked outside to see their friends. Chloe and Rachel, who'd arrived a few short minutes ago, rushed to her, nearly knocking her over in a hug. "Oh my god, are you ok?" They both asked simultaneously.

She gave them a small smile. "I'm fine,"

"Were you scared?" Chloe asked as she attached herself to Randy's side. "I would have been so scared."

Jess shrugged. "I mean definitely at first I was scared but the longer I sat there, I realized that this was Josh; he's all talk. But, I mean, even though I didn't think he would do anything it was a little nerve-wracking thinking he could." She leaned into John when she felt him wrap his arms around her.

"She was really strong. She didn't even need us, she had the guy on his knees." John added.

Rachel smiled. "Really?" When her friend nodded she punched her softly. "Go Jess,"

The friends stood around talking for a while, waiting for Jess to talk to the police and give her statement. Once all the commotion was over and the cops had cleared out, they all gathered near their cars. "Well, we better get going," Chloe said and gave her friends a scared look. "Randy's parents are coming over for dinner tonight. I have to figure out what to make,"

Rachel smiled at her friends nervousness. "Chlo, they're going to love you,"

Randy nodded as he tightened his hand around Chloe's. "That's what I keep telling her but she doesn't believe me."

They all laughed before the girls gave each other a hug. "I'm going to make dinner for Adam tonight," Rachel told her friends. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw the boys talking. "If we make it until them," She said as she bit her lip as she ran her eyes over his body. He turned and caught her stare. He grinned smugly and sent her a wink before turning back to his conversation. "Damn, he is hot."

Jess laughed. "And you will probably not leave your bedroom until Saturday morning."

Chloe and Rachel laughed knowing that was probably true. "John's taking me out to dinner. Our first date as an official couple. "She beamed.

"Aw, that's great Jess," Chloe commented.

"All right baby, time to hit the road," Randy said as the men walked back over, Lindsey's hand in his.

"Yeah us too, we've got some catching up to do," Adam said, his eyes focused solely on Rachel. She felt her body heat up at the promise in his eyes.

"Bye!" Jess yelled to her friends as they drove away while she and John stood off to the side waving. She turned to him and let out a sigh as she clung to his frame.

"You ready for dinner?" He asked as his hands ran up and down her back.

She mumbled and shook her head. "No, let's take a nap."

John grinned. "If we go back in that bed, the last thing we're going to do is sleep."

She lifted her head and smiled evilly. "I know," She said causing John to lift a brow in surprise. He watched as she slowly walked backwards toward the entrance to her apartment building. She crooked a finger, telling him to come toward her, and he, of course, complied. She let out a surprised yet happy shriek when John threw her over his shoulder and hurried up the stairs so they could 'nap'.

* * *

**A/N: So I originally intended to post this tomorrow but I just couldn't wait! So this is the last chapter, hope you all enjoyed it, I've got a good epilogue ready to go so I'll probably post that Thursday or Friday. Oh and another thing! While working on this story, I've been writing another story centered around John Morrison. I'm going to post the first chapter probably on Sunday so look out for that, It's called Dear John and it's probably one of my favorite stories that I've written so please read it if you enjoyed this story! Thank you again for all your amazing reviews for this story!  
**


	57. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE superstars

**When You're Around**

_Epilogue_

Chloe filled her plastic cup up with punch and turned around when she heard her name being called. She smiled at her friends as they waved to her. It was the week before Christmas and she and Randy had thrown a holiday party for all their friends and family. She spotted her parents talking to Randy's parents through the crowd and she weaved her way over to them.

"Hey mom, dad," She said as she gave both her parents a hug. She turned and smiled at Randy's parents. "Bob, Elaine, I'm so glad you guys could make it," She said as she also gave them hugs.

"Oh of course, we couldn't miss it." Elaine said with a smile to Chloe. "And it just looks absolutely beautiful in here Chloe, I love what you've done with the place."

Chloe smiled as she looked around the room. Even though there were Christmas decorations everywhere, she knew Randy's mom was referring to the new design of the room itself and the rest of the house. "Thank you, as much as I liked Randy's bachelor pad, he and I both agreed it had been time for a change." Truth was she really had liked the dark and masculine feel to his home but a warm and welcoming color palette was a little more her style.

"Randy mentioned you were an avid golfer?" Chloe's dad directed at Randy's dad.

Bob nodded. "I try to get out there as often as possible."

"Well Randy and I had plans to go tomorrow and I was wondering if you would like to join us," Joe asked, eager to get to know the man better.

Bob smiled. "That'd be great actually; Elaine and Lindsey are going to be taking over the house tomorrow baking cookies."

Elaine nodded as she seemed to just get an idea. She turned to Jean. "I would just love it if you joined us! Lindsey loves you; she would be so excited,"

Jean looked unsure as she glanced at her daughter. Chloe nodded her head, telling her to go. "Well that would be great, but only if you're sure, I don't want to impose on your family time together,"

Elaine tilted her head to the side and grinned. "But you are family,"

Chloe and her parents both smiled at the thought. "Ok then, yes, I would love to join you."

Elaine smiled. "Great!"

Seeing her parents and Randy's dissolve into conversation made her happy to see that they got along so well. "Well, if you guys will excuse me, I'm going to go talk to my friends for a little bit,"

"Oh of course dear," Jean said before turning her full attention back to Elaine.

Chloe walked off in search of her two closest friends and found them standing next to the fireplace laughing together. "Hey girls, I'm so glad you came," She said, wrapping her arms around the both of them.

"Of course we came!" Jess said with a grin.

"Yeah, any time to come into this huge house, I'm game!" Rachel joked as she sipped her punch. "Seriously, it's beautiful Chlo,"

Chloe smiled. "Thank you," She said before raising her glass in her left hand to her lips.

Rachel and Jessica's eyes both zeroed in on the ring on their friends finger. "What the hell is that?" They both demanded, their hands reaching out to hold the hand in front of their faces.

Chloe giggled. "Is this what I think it is?" Jess asked, her eyes connecting with Chloe's. Chloe nodded happily.

"Oh my god Chlo, this is beautiful," Rach said as she looked at the rock from every angle.

"How did he do it? When?" Jess asked, so excited for her friend.

Chloe's grin couldn't have gotten any bigger. "Just last night! We were out to dinner and after dessert he just dropped to his knee, pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him. It was just so simple but so perfect," She let out a dreamy sigh as she too glanced down at her ring and the meaning behind it. "I'm so lucky, I just couldn't ask for more."

Jess and Rach both let out aw's before embracing their friend happily. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks guys, and you'll both be my maids of honor for sure." She said. They quieted down and Chloe reached out a hand to touch Rachel's belly. "And what about you miss mom-to-be? How are you and the baby doing?"

Rachel smiled as she instinctively rubbed her hand over her still growing belly. "Me and the baby are doing just fine."

"And what about daddy? How's Adam doing?" Jess asked to her very happy friend.

Without missing a beat, Rachel let out a groan. "Do not get me started on that man."

Chloe furrowed her brow and looked at Jess to see if her friend knew what that comment was all about. Jess just shrugged. "What do you mean? Is he not happy about this?"

Rach rolled her eyes. "I wish! No, instead, every single time he looks at me he gets this sickeningly smug smile on his face and goes "I did that to you" or "I put that baby in you". God, how do I live with that arrogant asshole?" She questioned. She'd moved away from St. Louis and in with Adam just a couple weeks into September.

"She says the sweetest things doesn't she?" Adam asked with his signature grin as he walked up to his baby mama, wrapping his arm around her waist. He looked down at her lovingly before looking back up at her friends. "Just last night she called me the biggest jerk on the face of the planet. I told her to stop saying these things to me, at least in public, they get me so hot."

Chloe and Jessica just laughed but Rach gave her boyfriend a shove. "Get out of here. We're having some girl talk."

Adam grinned before leaning down and placing a slow but short kiss on her lips. "Oh, but before I leave, Chloe, congratulations on the engagement." He said looking at a smiling Chloe. "You guys deserve it,"

"Thanks," She said before he walked away.

Rachel couldn't help but watch Adam leave. "Damn he's hot."

Jess laughed. "You just called him an arrogant asshole."

"Hey, just because I'm honest doesn't mean I'm blind." This caused another round of laughter. "And you know what? Even though my hormones are all out of wack, I've never had this much amazing sex in my life."

"Oh my god," Chloe said bringing a hand to her mouth. "TMI!"

"I'm serious! I'm all emotional and jump on everything I think he does wrong. We have these heated fights but they end in the absolute best make up sex." She closed her eyes as if she was remembering their latest romp. She opened her eyes and blushed when she saw her friends staring at her. "Well, it's true. You guys will figure it out when you have kids,"

"Definitely not having kids any time soon," Jess added.

"Maybe not but I'm so excited you're moving down to Tampa!" Rach said with a smile. "I can hardly wait; I miss you guys seriously more than you realize."

"Yeah but now I'm gonna be all alone up here!" Chloe exclaimed. Even though she was very happy for her friends and the lives they were living, she hated not being able to drive over to their houses whenever she wanted.

"Aw, Chloe, you'll be fine." Jess reassured. "You have Randy and Linds."

Chloe shrugged. "You're right but you guys are my best friends. When are you moving again?"

"Well I was going to wait a while but my lease is up at the end of the year so John and I decided to just move ahead of schedule. So I'll be heading down the first week of the year."

Chloe let out a sigh. "Well even though I'm sad you both are going to be so far away, I'm glad you and John are happy and progressing forward."

Jess grinned. "Me too. I mean, after Josh, I was pretty doubtful I'd find someone else. But I really love John and I'm so excited to be living with him now."

"Sex," Rach said. She made an ecstasy face and then mouthed. "Oh my god the sex!"

Chloe laughed. "God you and your sex tonight!" She said and grabbed her friends punch, sniffing it. "Did anyone spike this?" She joked.

"They better not have," Rachel said as she rested her hands on her stomach protectively. "Or I will kick their ass."

A second later John walked over, greeting Jessica with a kiss. "Hello ladies, you are looking beautiful." He said, hugging each of them. "Congratulations on the engagement," He said to Chloe who thanked him. "And Rachel, pregnancy looks great on you."

Rachel frowned. "Did Adam put you up to this?"

John looked at his girlfriend confused. Was it something he said? "Anyways," He said changing the subject. "You girls don't mind if I steal my girlfriend away do you?" Both the girls shook their heads and watched as John led Jess away from them.

Rachel and Chloe stood in the same spot, surveying the people around them. Rachel's eyes landed on Randy's ex, Sam. "So you're ok with that?" She asked, nodding her head in Sam's direction.

Chloe looked where her friend was signaling and smiled. "Well, I'll tell you that we're not friends but she's definitely gotten better. She's got a boyfriend now-"

"Who is quite yummy," Jess interrupted as she looked at the man with his arm around Sam.

Chloe just rolled her eyes. "Anyways, we are civil."

"Well that's good, very adult of you." Rach said.

She shrugged. "Well I try."

Rachel saw movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see what it was. She saw Adam on the other side of the room, motioning for her to follow him. She grinned. "I think I'm being summoned."

Chloe looked to see what she was looking at and smiled when she saw Adam and Rach making some major sexy eyes at each other. "He looks like he wants to devour you," She noted.

Rachel turned to her friend and smirked. "I know, isn't it great?" She asked rhetorically before practically skipping off to her boyfriend.

Chloe shook her head as she looked around to see where her boyfriend was. Just as she turned her head, a pair of strong tattooed arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her into a muscular body. "Looking for me?" Randy whispered in her ear before placing a kiss just below her lobe.

She smiled as she turned around in his arms, wrapping her own arms around his neck. "Actually, I was. You haven't been ignoring me, have you?"

His eyes darkened. "Never," He said before kissing her sweetly on the lips. He moaned into her mouth, never getting tired of her lips on his. "God, I cannot wait to marry you."

She let out a sigh at the words. "Me neither," She smiled as she remembered just how she'd met him. "You know when you came into my classroom that one day, I never thought we'd end up here."

He grinned. "I did," She raised a questioning eyebrow. "You see it was all a part of the plan," He explained as he leaned in close, his lips grazing her ear. "First I had to get you on a date, then one date turns into two and so on. Then comes the risky move of living together. And just when you least expect, marriage." She laughed. "You put up a good fight at first but once you went on that first date, I knew I had you."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh please, I practically had you begging me to go out with you."

He pulled back as if wounded. "Oh no, Orton's do not beg,"

"This Orton did," She shot back, cracking a smile.

He licked his lips before grinning. "All right, maybe you're right but now you're under my spell." She laughed as he leaned down to kiss her neck.

"Daddy!" Linds exclaimed, breaking up the couples intimate moment. "Can I please open a Christmas gift now?"

Randy looked down at his daughter with a smile. "Sorry baby, Christmas isn't until next week, you'll have to wait."

She pouted. "Really?" Randy nodded so she turned to Chloe. "Chloe, can I please open a gift?" She gave it a shot.

Chloe smiled. "I'm sorry Linds, I'm with your dad on this one."

The girl hung her head in disappointment. Randy hauled the girl into his arms. "But I do have something for you. Remember when I told you Chloe and I are getting married?"

Linds nodded and smiled at Chloe. "Yeah, we're going to be family now!"

Chloe couldn't help but grin at her words. "We sure are."

"Well, Chloe and I were wondering if you wanted to be our ring bearer." Randy asked.

The little girl furrowed her brow. "What's that?"

"It's the most important job of the whole wedding. You're going to hold the rings that we give each other." Randy explained.

Lindsey smiled. "Really?" Randy and Chloe both nodded. "Yes! Can I go tell grandma?"

Randy laughed and nodded, setting his daughter down on the floor as she ran off to his mom. Chloe wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. He embraced her and tilted her head up to his, placing a passionate kiss on her lips. "God, I love you,"

She smiled against his lips, giving him a small peck. "I love you too,"

* * *

**A/N: So sad that is story had to come to an end but it was time! Hope you all enjoyed it, i know i did. A big thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited and/or alerted this story, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Don't forget, I am posting my new story Dear John this weekend, probably Sunday, so look out for that if you are interested!**


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